PLAYER DIARY | Fi Morris on a winter with Thunder
I’ve played for a number of different teams in my career, but arriving at Thunder this winter felt different. It’s somewhere I felt at home straightaway.
We’re obviously so well supported by Lancashire as a set-up in general, and I could feel a real sense of family.
Going on tour to Dubai and Mumbai last month and spending two weeks away, 24/7, with the girls and coaches really helped. It’s been amazing.
Was I surprised at how quickly I settled in? Yes. I shouldn’t have been, though, because it’s a special place Emirates Old Trafford, and they’re a special group of people.
It’s been quite a big move for me, coming from Bristol, where I was brought up. Other than to play cricket, I’d never been to Manchester before.
I knew a few of the girls before, but not massively well. But it’s been above and beyond what I expected. I love it here.
I’m living with Alex Hartley, which has been good fun even though I’ve barely seen her given she’s been away so much working at this tournament and that tournament.
Exploring Manchester has been really good fun. It’s similar in a way to Bristol - they’re both friendly cities. I’m quite lucky that I’ve got a couple of old school friends living up here, so that’s been a way of getting away from cricket as well.
Cricket wise, I was really happy with how I went on tour last month both with bat and ball.
Essentially I’ve had the yips bowling for the last couple of years, and coming into a new team and set-up with new coaches is exactly what I needed.
I was nervous as you’d expect. But, as I said, I settled in and my cricket just got better and better quite quickly.
Having the yips was really hard, and it nearly ruined my career. I very nearly stopped playing altogether in the summer.
I’ve always been a bowler who bats, and I had to transform my game into a batter who bowls because I was struggling so much with my off-spin.
But working with Stephen Parry, has been brilliant. I’ve changed my action quite a lot and also my mindset. I feel like a new cricketer.
I’d probably never tell Paz to his face, but I think he’s the best coach I’ve ever worked with.
He gets to know you as a player - what makes you tick as a cricketer and a person.
As a cricketers, you naturally put a lot of pressure on yourself when you’re at training or in games. But he knows how to bring you out of that.
His knowledge as a spinner, he keeps things simple. I’m not a massive one for technical stuff or stats, and he picked up on that pretty quickly.
I feel like my bowling’s just gone from strength to strength.
Hopefully I can continue that into the season. That’s the plan, anyway.
I batted four on tour, which I’d never done before. And I really enjoyed that.
There’s potential for a bit of variety in that position. You could be in early - hopefully that doesn’t happen very often - or you could be in during the middle overs, which suits my game.
We’ll have to see what Paul Shaw says, but I’d happily take that into the season.
I can’t wait to get going now, and hopefully we can start with a win against the Stars on Saturday.
To play our opening game at Emirates Old Trafford is ideal for us.
We’ve trained here every day during the winter, and we’ve just had all the the branding done in the changing room - photos of achievements and memories.
I think the pitch also suits the way we play, it’s good for spinners. Let’s hope it works out that way.