MATCH PREVIEW: Western Storm vs Lancashire Thunder, Charlotte Edwards Cup 2024
Western Storm v Lancashire Thunder
Charlotte Edwards Cup
Thursday June 13, 2024, 2.30pm
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Lancashire Thunder squad to face Western Storm:
Ellie Threlkeld*+, Alice Clarke, Danni Collins, Kate Cross, Phoebe Graham, Liberty Heap, Grace Johnson, Emma Lamb, Katie Mack, Fi Morris , Sophie Morris, Tara Norris, Seren Smale
Welsh wizard Seren Smale is targeting more of the same as Lancashire Thunder aim for Finals Day in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.
Thunder have three games remaining in the group stage of the regional T20 competition, 15 points to play for, and they sit four points behind fourth-placed Central Sparks, who currently hold the final qualifying position.
Smale and co play twice in as many days later this week, including against Sparks at Edgbaston on Friday afternoon.
First, though, they tackle Western Storm at Cardiff tomorrow (2.30pm).
Smale heads to her birth nation, albeit South Wales rather than the North where she hails from, and she does so in confident mood having hit an unbeaten 39 to help Thunder secure a victory last time out - by five wickets against Sunrisers at Blackpool on Sunday.
The 19-year-old from Wrexham hit 39 not out off 33 balls from number four, top-scoring in a successful pursuit of 152. She was there at the end with Kate Cross, who hit a six and four in the final over with nine runs needed.
The pair shared an unbroken 19 in seven balls for the sixth wicket, with England A star Smale’s score representing her best of the ongoing T20 campaign.
It came after a difficult four-game run of single-figures scores, one which she is hoping has been put behind her.
“I was feeling in touch, but I’ve had a few ropey games where I’ve gone away from how I’ve played,” she said.
“I think it showed the way I play in any format is ok.
“I just need to stick to my strengths and that will get me as far as it will get me.
“If we can take the momentum (from Sunrisers), we’ve got every chance.
“And we all love a little road trip, so we’ll just have to make it two from two.”
The Sparks game clearly looms large as a monumental one in the race to reach Finals Day at Derby on June 22. But first, Thunder must take care of a struggling Western Storm side who have only won once and lost five times in seven so far. The other was rained off.
Should Thunder win it, they would head to Edgbaston either level on 17 points with Sparks or, even better, one ahead should they win with a bonus point in Wales.
Thunder would then play their penultimate fixture at Edgbaston, leaving Sparks with a game in hand. That comes against defending champions Southern Vipers on Sunday, who are third at present and also catchable.
Tomorrow, Storm are likely to have England captain Heather Knight available having played their last two matches, including defeat at home to Western Storm on Sunday. She scored 69 opening the batting in that fixture.
The prospect of seeing Knight face her England team-mates Cross and Sophie Ecclestone is an enticing one.
Captained by Sophie Luff, Storm have Australian leg-spinner Amanda-Jade Wellington as their overseas player.
Thunder will be hoping to avenge the early-season Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy defeat against Storm at Emirates Old Trafford when the visitors comfortably defended a 253-target.
Opposition player to watch
We can’t look beyond England captain Heather Knight, the experienced batter who has played in Storm’s last two Charlotte Edwards Cup matches, scoring 20 and 69.
Knight, 33, has played 267 times across all formats for England, scoring just shy of 7,000 runs.
She has been England captain since summer 2016 when she replaced the player whose name adorns this particular trophy, Charlotte Edwards.
Knight has played domestic 20-over cricket around the world, in places such as India and Australia. In all, T20 cricket, she has played 317 matches and has scored three hundreds.
Thunder will be hoping it’s a case of third time lucky against the England legend. In two previous appearances against the Red Rose side, for Storm, Knight has posted scores of 91 and 62 in both 50-over cricket. She was on the winning side on both occasions.
Previous meeting
It is the match in which Heather Knight scored 62 that we will be looking at here - the Charlotte Edwards Cup at Taunton last May.
Storm won it by six wickets in what was Thunder’s opening match of a campaign which saw them recover from a sticky start to qualify for Finals Day.
Emma Lamb top-scored with 36 opening the batting in Thunder’s 154-7 after they elected to bat. Unfortunately, nobody could go on and make the most of starts, of which there were a few; Liberty Heap and Sophie Ecclestone both made 22.
Thunder didn’t make the most of being 65-0 in the eighth over as Ireland’s Orla Prendergast struck twice for the hosts, who limited Thunder to a 154-7 total.
In reply, Storm fell to 27-2 in the fifth over, Ecclestone and Tara Norris both striking early to put the visitors on top. But Knight had other ideas, unfortunately.
She shared 111 in 12.3 overs for the third wicket with ex-England international Fran Wilson, who also contributed 53 off 44 balls to all but seal the game.
Knight hit two sixes in a fine 41-ball effort.
Both fell to Ecclestone and Mahika Gaur, leaving Storm 145-4 with 10 balls left. But the damage had been done and the hosts got home with four balls to spare.