SQUAD NEWS AND MATCH PREVIEW: Lancashire Thunder vs Northern Diamonds
Squad news
Ellie Threlkeld*+, Darcey Carter, Alice Clarke, Danni Collins, Phoebe Graham, Naomi Dattani, Grace Johnson, Eve Jones, Hannah Jones, Emma Lamb, Fi Morris, Sophie Morris, Tara Norris, Seren Smale
Emma Lamb will get back to the top of the tree with England after almost a year away from the international game.
That’s the view of her Lancashire Thunder captain and team-mate, Ellie Threlkeld, having watched the all-rounder impress with the bat in regional cricket this summer and earn a recall for the forthcoming tour of Ireland early next month.
Lamb, 26, has played 14 times for England across all formats, scoring a one-day international century against South Africa in July 2022.
That came on the back of being part of England’s squad which reached the final of the 50-over World Cup in New Zealand a couple of months previous. She played once in that tournament.
Lamb was forced to undergo lower back surgery at the start of the year but recovered in time to play pretty much a full season of domestic cricket with Thunder, and successfully too - albeit she hasn’t bowled.
She has scored 337 runs from nine games in the ongoing Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, including one fifty and a hundred, while she also hit one fifty in a nine-game haul of 228 runs in the Charlotte Edwards Cup T20 competition.
Lamb will feature for Thunder in Sunday’s RHFT clash with fellow semi-final contenders Northern Diamonds at Southport (10.30am) before being unavailable for the remaining two group games next week due to her ODI call-up.
Sixth-placed Thunder head into that game against a Diamonds team currently second in the table after 11 of 14 games. With 15 points to play for, Thunder are six points off fourth-placed South East Stars, who they beat on Monday just gone by 120 runs at Beckenham.
Should Thunder qualify for the semi-finals, on September 14, Lamb would return to play in that and the final a week later.
Lamb is one of four Thunder players who have been picked across two squads for the Ireland tour, which comprises of three ODIs and then a pair of T20s, from September 7-15.
Kate Cross has been named in both squads, and as captain, meaning she would be unavailable beyond Sunday for all games before a potential RHFT final.
Mahika Gaur and Seren Smale are only in the T20 squad for two matches on September 14 and 15. That only clashes with the RHFT semi-final.
On Lamb, Threlkeld said: “She’s a really exciting player, and there’s no ceiling to how good she could be. It’s fantastic to see her back fit and on the pitch.
“She has come back really well and has had a good summer.
“She’s had a bit of a tough year with the injury, and that’s meant she’s not bowled. It’s put a bit of extra pressure on her batting. Having an operation like that, it was obviously a tough rehab. But she’s dealt with it really well - the ultimate professional, like she always is.
“The injury came at a tough time for her in terms of other people taking her England place, if you like, and she struggled to get back in there. Those England spots are getting harder and harder to fight for.
“But she’s a really strong character, and she’ll keep working her socks off to get back to the top again. And I’m absolutely sure she will.
“I’ve absolutely loved having her around a bit more.
“I would love to see her out there performing in every game for England. But, selfishly, it’s been nice to have her with us. She’s always great around the group. Add that to performances on the pitch, and it’s everything you want.”
Threlkeld is unsure on a timeframe for Lamb’s return to bowling off-spin.
“She hasn’t bowled at all in the nets or anything,” she said. “But hopefully she can get back bowling again soon because I know it’s something she really wants to do.”
That she won’t be bowling at Southport will be a relief to the Diamonds, who in a Charlotte Edwards Cup clash at Headingley back in 2021 were on the wrong end of an Emma Lamb special.
In a Thunder win, she hit 58 opening the batting before claiming 4-13 from four overs of off-spin, added to taking a catch and affecting a run out.
“When Lamby’s at her best, she’s capable of doing things like that and taking the game away from anyone,” added Threlkeld.
Cross plays for Thunder against the Diamonds before taking on the England captaincy in Ireland, which has come about with England resting many of their senior players ahead of October’s T20 World Cup in the UAE.
Cross said: “I’m really excited, I wasn’t expecting it.
“Obviously, with that, there was the caveat that I wasn’t selected for the World Cup in the UAE. But when one door closes, you get another opportunity.
“To be able to say that I’m going to lead my country is never something I thought would happen. I’ve had a little bit of experience through Lancashire, captaining, so I’m really looking forward to the opportunity.”
Thunder head into Sunday’s game full of confidence having beaten Stars so convincingly last time out. But they must keep on winning in order to keep alive their hopes of a top-four finish.
Wicketkeeper-batter Threlkeld, who hit a valuable 33 with the bat against the Stars, will make her 100th all-format appearance for Lancashire Thunder, including appearances in the old Kia Super League, which ran from 2016 to 2019.
She is also two short of 200 dismissals behind the stumps in her List A and T20 career.
Diamonds have won seven of their 11 games in this competition, including against Thunder at Durham on the opening day of the season in April, to put themselves on track for the semi-finals. But they were beaten last time out against Sunrisers at Chelmsford on Monday.
England wicketkeeper-batter Bess Heath is unavailable at the request of the ECB, but captain Hollie Armitage plays before touring Ireland with England.
Erin Burns and Lauren Winfield-Hill return from Caribbean Premier League duty to play.