MATCH PREVIEW AND SQUAD NEWS: The Blaze vs Lancashire Thunder
Chris Read is a Trent Bridge legend, but he is determined to disappoint the locals on Bank Holiday Monday when he takes his Lancashire Thunder side to the place he called home for the entirety of 20 seasons as a professional through to 2017.
The Blaze v Lancashire Thunder
Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy
Monday May 6, 2024, 10.30am
Trent Bridge, Nottingham
Thunder squad to face The Blaze:
Ellie Threlkeld (c/wk), Olivia Bell, Danielle Collins, Kate Cross, Naomi Dattani, Sophie Ecclestone, Mahika Gaur, Phoebe Graham, Hannah Jones, Emma Lamb, Katie Mack, Fi Morris, Tara Norris, Seren Smale
New Thunder coach Read returns to Nottingham for the fifth Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy fixture of the new summer, against last year’s finalists the Blaze (10.30am).
The two regions have made a similar start to the new season, winning one and losing three out of their four games.
Blaze are bottom on four points and Thunder two places above them in sixth with five points, courtesy of a bonus point victory over Sunrisers at Emirates Old Trafford last week.
Blaze’s solitary win came against Northern Diamonds on Wednesday at Scarborough.
“We are playing some really good cricket in patches,” said Read, whose side lost a tight game against defending champions Southern Vipers at Wormsley on Wednesday, by three wickets defending a target of 207.
“We’ve not necessarily strung it together in all phases of the games across too many games of cricket - hence the reason we’ve lost three and won one.
“We played a really strong game against Sunrisers to win, and there were aspects against Vipers, particularly the bowling effort, which was impressive.
“We haven’t quite strung it together, but we are very much going in the right direction.”
Read has been back to Trent Bridge plenty of times since his playing days were done. He has coached in the men’s game and the women’s since hanging up his wicketkeeping gloves.
Last season, for example, he took on the role of assistant coach with the Trent Rockets women in the Hundred.
But rarely has he been to Trent Bridge as a visitor.
In 1996 - two summers before he made his first-class debut - he did so whilst playing for Gloucestershire seconds against Notts. That may have been the only time for the Devonian, however.
“I’ve spent a fair bit of time there, even recently since I finished playing, but I have always been on the home side,” he continued.
“It’s going to be slightly strange entering the opposition dressing room, although the Blaze are in the away one. So we’ll actually be in the men’s home dressing room. Maybe it will feel quite homely!”
Asked if he will take up his old seat in that dressing room, he accepted it’s reserved for someone else.
“I couldn’t,” he said. “I’ll tell Ellie where the captain’s corner is and she can get herself in there.”
Read also accepts that conditions may differ from usual on Monday.
He added: “Traditionally, one-day wickets while I’ve been there have been fantastic – good cricket wicket with good pace, plenty of bounce and lots of runs scored.
“But it has been a wet spring, and we’ll have to find out.
“I’m certainly looking forward to going back there.”
Read’s old stomping ground will be busy on Monday, with Trent Bridge also playing host to the Notts Street Food Festival from midday through to 9pm.
A message on Nottinghamshire CCC’s website says “around 4,000 visitors are expected to sample some of Nottingham’s finest street food and get behind the Blaze”.
Blaze reached both regional finals last year - in 50-over and T20 cricket. They were beaten on both occasions by the Southern Vipers.
However, it has been a challenging start to 2024 for a side captained by former England spinner Kirstie Gordon and coached by Chris Guest.
Blaze, who have re-engaged South African all-rounder Nadine de Klerk for a second season as their overseas player, have been beset by injuries and international call-ups and lost their first three matches, being bowled out for 135, 126 and 87 along the way.
However, they bounced back earlier this week to successfully chase 189 against the Diamonds at Scarborough.
One of their key performers in that match was Welsh international Bethan Gammon, who hit 39 from number seven to help recover them from 105-6 to win by two wickets with two balls remaining.
Gammon wasn’t expecting to play much first-team cricket this season, but some good form in the second team allied to unavailability issues has seen her step up for the last two games. She also doubles up as the region’s Pathway Talent Manager.
Thunder batting all-rounder Daisy Mullan has spent the first few weeks of the season on loan with the Blaze, posting scores of 18, 3, 14 and 12 in four matches. She will be unavailable to face her parent region later this weekend.
This will be the first of two games in three days for Thunder, who also face Central Sparks at Emirates Old Trafford on Wednesday - the last game before the break to play the Charlotte Edwards Cup T20 competition.
Opposition player to watch
Six-time spin bowling international all-rounder Kirstie Gordon does it all for the Blaze.
As a left-arm spinner, she is a potent weapon with the ball, she filled in at the top of the batting order in their last game, and she captains the side.
Gordon, 26, played one Test Match for England and five T20 internationals in 2018 and 2019 and in March toured New Zealand with the England A.
Gordon is a wily spinner and more regularly a dependable lower order batter. In Wednesday’s win over Diamonds, she claimed two wickets, two catches at mid-off and hit 19 with the bat.
Born in Scotland, she is closing in on 300 senior wickets in her career - a milestone she is likely to reach this summer.
If Thunder are going to win this one, they will likely have to keep this all-rounder quiet.
Previous meeting
Thunder and Blaze have never taken to the field against each other in this competition.
Last season’s fixtures were both abandoned without a ball bowled because of rain, first at Mansfield in May and then again at Sedbergh in July.
Last year was the Blaze first campaign as a team having replaced the Lightning in regional cricket.
The Blaze did, however, win the only Charlotte Edwards Cup T20 fixture between the two - by three wickets at Emirates Old Trafford in late May when they successfully chased down a target of 118.