SQUAD NEWS AND MATCH PREVIEW: Western Storm vs Lancashire Thunder, RHFT 2024
Western Storm v Lancashire Thunder
Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy
Saturday September 7, 2024, 10.30am
The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
Squad to face Western storm:
Ellie Threlkeld*, Liv Bell, Darcey Carter, Alice Clarke, Danni Collins, Phoebe Graham, Grace Johnson, Eve Jones, Hannah Jones, Fi Morris, Sophie Morris, Tara Norris, Seren Smale
Coach Chris Read has highlighted a lack of consistency as a key reason for his Lancashire Thunder side missing out on knockout cricket in both formats this summer.
Thunder head into Saturday’s final game of the season, a Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy clash with Western Storm at Taunton - 10.30am, unable to reach the semi-finals of the 50-over competition.
They have won only four of 13 matches and sit sixth out of eight teams in the table. Storm are bottom.
In the Charlotte Edwards (T20) Cup, Thunder finished fifth with three wins from 10 outings.
At no stage, this season have Thunder won back-to-back matches. The closest they came was in this competition in July and August, with wins over Central Sparks and South East Stars separated by a rained-off game against Southern Vipers.
Reflecting on his first season in charge, the former England men’s wicketkeeper-batter said: “I think there’s been progress. But, at times, we’ve gone two steps forward and one step back, and it’s been disappointing.
“The consistency hasn’t been there - we haven’t put two back-to-back wins together this season, and coming into this last month we needed to win three or maybe four out of four to have a chance of going to the knockout stage.
“As it is, we’re fighting at the other end of the table.
“I don’t necessarily think that’s representative of us as a team, and it’s slightly disappointing to be where we are on the log.
“It’s frustrating, but you have to hang onto the things we’ve done really well.”
A brief look at the statistics for this competition tells you there are positives - and significant ones at that.
Seren Smale is the competition’s leading run-scorer with 497 and no bowler across the country has taken more wickets than left-arm spinner Hannah Jones’s 22.
Smale, 19, is heading to Ireland for England T20 series next weekend, while Jones has come back superbly from her shoulder issues over the last 18 months.
“Some of our top order batting has been amongst the best in the country, with Seren being right up there,” said Read.
“At the age of 19, getting her first England call-up, she’s had a real breakthrough season. That’s been absolutely fantastic. I know we expect it of Emma Lamb , but she’s had a solid season with the bat too.
“Hannah’s been absolutely fantastic.
“Looking back to when I first started at the club in January, she recently had an operation on her shoulder and the rehab wasn’t plain-sailing by any means.
“But she’s been a mainstay for us, although she had a bit of a niggle which kept her out of the back end of the Charlotte Edwards.
“Particularly in the 50-overs, she’s been invaluable and our go to bowler in most phases of the game.
“She deserves to be at the top of the charts nationally for those wickets she’s taken. She’s put in some really good performances when called upon.”
Below first-team level, Lancashire’s Under 18s won their County Cup, captained by all-rounder Grace Johnson, who has played two senior matches this summer.
In Wednesday’s narrow defeat to Blaze at Sale, she hit a middle order 27 and bowled eight overs of seam at a cost of only 26.
Read continued: “There have been some good individual performances throughout, and I’m really encouraged by what is happening in our Academy and Under 18s, who have performed very well.
“We have a number of youngsters knocking on the door of the professional sides. For me, that’s quite exciting to see a good blend of youth and experience.”
Emma Lamb will miss the Storm trip as she’s with England in Ireland, while it’s hoped fledgling left-arm spinner Sophie Morris will have recovered from the hand injury which kept her out of the the Blaze defeat.
Otherwise, Read is expecting few changes for the trip to the South West.
“There’s been some really good performances from Sophie Morris, who is coming into this team in T20 and 50-over cricket,” he said. “She’s performed exceptionally well.
“The last time I looked at her economy rate in 50-over cricket, it was under fours. To go with the wickets she’s taken, it’s highly impressive for someone who hasn’t been on a full contract.”
You could say that Thunder’s defeat to Blaze at Sale was a microcosm of their season.
They bowled well in restricting the visitors to 197 all out, with Fi Morris outstanding for her six wickets.
Then they slipped to 54-6 and 123-9 chasing only to recover to 173 thanks to an unbeaten 53 for Tara Norris. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t enough.
“I thought the lower order did a fantastic job,” added Read.
“For the last four wickets to put on 120 was a really good effort.
“Tara played a fantastic innings and gave us a lot of hope towards the end. It was a good partnership with Hannah Jones.
“It’s worth highlighting the performances from Grace Johnson, who I thought was fantastic with bat and ball and showed she’s got a bright future, and Darcey Carter (1-48 from 10 overs) on debut.
“I thought she bowled exceptionally well with her off-spin and showed some strong shots with the bat. Encouraging signs from those two. But you’re not going to win too many games from 50-6.”