PREVIEW: Essex Women vs Lancashire Women, Metro Bank One-Day Cup Women
Lancashire Women Squad to face Essex:
Ellie Threlkeld (c&wk), Danielle Collins, Kate Cross, Grace Johnson, Eve Jones, Hannah Jones, Emma Lamb, Ailsa Lister, Katie Mack, Fi Morris, Sophie Morris, Tara Norris, Grace Potts, Seren Smale
Eve Jones is loving opening the batting again with her old sparring partner Emma Lamb, with the pair starring in Lancashire’s encouraging start to the new summer.
In the opening three Metro Bank One-Day Cup matches, of which the Red Rose have won two and lost one, Jones and Lamb have shared in opening partnerships of 34, 151 and 185. The latter was a record for any Lancashire team in women’s List A cricket.
They sit atop of the competition’s run-scoring charts. Lamb is number one with 268 runs, passing 50 in every game, and Jones second with 217, including two 50-plus scores. The right-hand, left-hand pair have recorded one century apiece.
Before moving to Central Sparks at the start of the regional era in 2020, Jones - aged 32 - played for Lancashire in the old county structure. She was part of the side which won the T20 and 50-over double in 2017 before captaining the side for the following two summers.
During that period Jones and Lamb opened the batting.
Now, with Jones having rejoined the Red Rose from Central Sparks late last season, they are back together and going great guns once more.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s latest Metro Bank 50-over clash with Essex Eagles (10.30am), at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, Chelmsford, Jones said: “I've really enjoyed opening the batting with Emma.
“Obviously, we did that a number of years ago, so it's good to be back at the top with her.
“Thankfully, we’ve had a few good partnerships to get us going into the season.
“We're great mates off the field, and I think we complement each other given we hit in different areas. Obviously, left-hand, right-hand helps as well.”
A lot has changed since 2017, be it the professional era taking off like it has in the women’s game as well as personally for Jones and Lamb, the latter aged 27.
Jones has racked up the runs in domestic cricket, has played for England A and at competitions such as the Big Bash in Australia. Lamb, meanwhile, has played 17 times for England across all formats and has an ODI century to her name.
“We’re a little bit older and have a little bit more experience behind us now, and I do think our games have gone to another level,” said Jones.
“Obviously Emma’s had some England experience as well.”
Lancashire head to Chelmsford on the back of an eight-wicket defeat to Hampshire at Southport and Birkdale on Wednesday as the visitors chased down 293. Jones posted 107 and shared 185 for the first wicket with Lamb.
There was obvious frustration at the defeat, especially given the fact the Red Rose lost momentum late in their innings when looking on course for a total in the region of 320-330 instead of 292-6.
But Jones says the players have retained the confidence gained from their two previous victories over The Blaze and Somerset away from home.
“We’ve done a lot of things right along the way,” she continued. “Not just against Hampshire, but the last two games as well. I think our bowlers, for one, have really set the tone in the powerplay.”
Lancashire will face an Essex side who have lost their opening three games of the season, most recently away to Somerset at Taunton Vale on Thursday when they were bowled out for 184 amidst a five-wicket defeat. They are bottom of the early table.
But a good number of the Eagles players, including captain Grace Scrivens, and their coaching staff were part of the Sunrisers squad which won the 50-over regional Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy title at the end of last summer.
“I don't think there's any easy games in this league because there's some really good players about,” added Jones.
“But hopefully we can take that confidence from the last few games and go and get a win at Essex on Sunday.”
Opposition player to watch
Batting all-rounder Grace Scrivens has been tagged as one of England’s stars of the future. Certainly an old head on young shoulders, Scrivens is captaining Essex at the age of only 21.
And she has captained the England Under 19s and the A side, plus the Sunrisers in senior regional cricket, across the last couple of years.
A prolific left-handed opening batter, Kent-born Scrivens also bowls handy off-spin.
She led Sunrisers to last year’s 50-over regional Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy title, scoring 553 runs - the second best haul in the competition.
Scrivens has posted scores of 19, 53 and 27 so far this summer.
How’s Stat!
During her opening 107 in Wednesday’s win over Hampshire at Southport, Red Rose opener Eve Jones went beyond 4,000 career runs in List A cricket.
That ton was her eighth in that format across 127 matches since debuting for Shropshire women in mid-2008.