Match Preview: Leicestershire Foxes Women vs Lancashire Thunder, Vitality T20 Women's County Cup Quarter-Final
Lancashire Thunder squad to face Leicestershire Foxes Women:
Ellie Threlkeld (c&wk), Danielle Collins, Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Grace Johnson, Tilly Kesteven, Emma Lamb, Ailsa Lister, Fi Morris, Sophie Morris, Tara Norris, Grace Potts, Seren Smale
Lancashire are brimming with confidence as they bid to secure the first piece of silverware in the county-led era of women’s domestic cricket in England.
Thunder are three games from glory in the knockout Vitality County T20 Cup competition, with Tier 2 opposition in Leicestershire Foxes standing between them and a place at this coming Monday’s Finals Day down at Taunton.
Thunder face the Foxes in the quarter-finals at Kibworth Cricket Club in the Leicestershire countryside (1.30pm), with Kent or The Blaze their semi-final opponents.
A Roses final remains a possibility.
Lancashire have started the season superbly. In all, they have won seven of their nine matches, beating Glamorgan in the third round of this T20 competition added to six from eight in the 50-over Metro Bank One-Day Cup.
They sit second in that particularly table, just a point behind leaders Hampshire.
Captain Ellie Threlkeld said: "It's been a great start, and it's been amazing to see loads of different people contribute as well. The top order has been firing and our bowlers have been bowling really well. So it’s been a good effort.
"It's been nice to see some consistency in our performances, and to get over the line in six of our eight (50-over) games means we're in a really good space.
“Eve Jones and Emma Lamb, in particular, have been exceptional. They've been run machines.
“But there will be times when they don't come off, and then it's about who's going to step up and do that job.
"I think people are playing with more maturity and smartness and that is down to a lot of hard work and a lot of good coaching staff around us.”
The Eve Jones-Emma Lamb opening partnership has been outstanding. In all matches, they have contributed a combined tally of 1,050 runs - Lamb with 629 and Jones 421. They have shared in three half-century and three century stands in all cricket.
Threlkeld’s comment about others standing up was highlighted last time out on Monday when the Red Rose beat Durham in the One-Day Cup. Jones missed that game through injury, and youngster Tilly Kesteven came in for her senior debut, made a composed 17 and shared 72 for the first wicket with England’s Lamb.
The spin-bowling Morris’s, Sophie and Fi, have each claimed a five-wicket haul apiece. The latter has missed the last two games through illness and injury.
Whereas Lancashire entered this County Cup at the third round stage and have only had to win one match so far - against Glamorgan at Brecon on Saturday - Leicestershire have won two matches after receiving a first round bye.
They beat Cheshire from Tier 3 and, most recently, Tier 2 rivals Northamptonshire.
They are captained by opening batter Becki Brooker and coached by Stephen Franklin.
The Foxes have won one and lost three in their 50-over Metro Bank One-Day Cup 2 competition.
Opposition player to watch
Batting all-rounder Francesca Sweet is aiming to post her third successive half-century.
Sweet, a former Sussex age-group player, is a tall, versatile and dynamic right-hand batter who bowls seamers.
In her last two matches, Sweet has scored 52 in each of them.
The first was from the middle order in 50-over cricket against Yorkshire last week. In that game, she hit her first ball for a straight six against former Lancashire leg-spinner Olivia Thomas.
The second, she opened the batting against Northamptonshire in the third round of the Vitality County T20 Cup on Saturday and led the way to a 116-8 total.
With the ball, she has a season’s best haul of 3-10, which she claimed from an impressive four-over spell against Northamptonshire as they were bowled out for 75 in reply.
How’s Stat!
Should Lancashire Thunder go on and win this competition, playing three matches through until the end of Monday, new fast-bowling signing Grace Potts has every chance of reaching the 50-wicket mark in T20 cricket in that time.
Potts, aged 22, has played 55 career matches in 20-over cricket since debuting for Staffordshire in 2018. She currently has 42 wickets to her name, including a best of 4-36.
Potts took the new ball for Thunder in their round three win at Glamorgan on Saturday, striking once.
LIVE on LancsTV
With our hosts unable to offer a live stream, tomorrow's match will be broadcast live and exclusive on LancsTV as we take our production on the road to bring you quarter-final coverage from Kibworth CC.