Match Preview: Lancashire Thunder vs. Hampshire Hawks, Vitality Blast Women
Lancashire Thunder v Hampshire Hawks
Vitality Blast, Women
Tuesday June 9, 2026, 2.30pm
Blackpool CC, Stanley Park
Matthew Mott has heaped praise on Lancashire Thunder overseas star Meg Lanning.
The Australian duo go way back. Mott is currently with Lancashire’s men as a consultant T20 coach, while Lanning has started her Vitality Blast overseas spell at Emirates Old Trafford in impressive fashion.
The pair were coach and captain with Australia’s women for a stunning seven-year period which brought four Ashes series wins, two T20 World Cup wins and one 50-over World Cup triumph. Under their leadership the team went on a record-breaking 26-game unbeaten run in ODI cricket between 2018 and 2021.
Mott and Lanning are due to link up again after their respective commitments with the Red Rose.
“I don’t think you can get too many bigger signings, to be honest,” said Mott. “You've got box office batting, and you've got some of the best leadership that’s ever been in the women's game or the men's game as well.
“She's probably one of the more inspirational people that I've had the pleasure to coach in terms of the way she goes about her business.
“The standards she holds herself and others to is really infectious.
“There's no doubt her legacy with the Australian women's team is very strong, just by the sheer way she conducts herself.”
Lancashire’s start to the season across both 50-over and T20 cricket has fallen clearly below expectation.
In the Blast, specifically, they have lost four of their first five games and have serious work to do if they are to make the top four for Finals Day cricket. They were beaten by The Blaze at Trent Bridge on Sunday, bowled out for 120 chasing a 136-target.
Their first of seven remaining games comes against Hampshire Hawks at Blackpool tomorrow afternoon (2.30pm).
That is the short-term view for Thunder, whereas the long-term outlook is that Lanning’s presence will do wonders for the progression of a host of players who are still early in their professional careers.
Lanning, 34, has so far scored 217 runs in five matches with scores of 40, 81 not out and 75 not out. She is the second leading run-scorer in the Blast behind Somerset captain Sophie Luff (251).
Performances on the field are clearly important, but team-mates being around her off it is too.
Aussie Mott added: “The fact you've got someone coming from outside the system, from another country, with just fresh ideas is sometimes really inspiring for the young players. It's a different voice.
“Obviously she's respected already, but I think just that outside influence coming in and you know she's had sustained success.
“Every ear in that room will be listening to every word she says.
“She doesn't waste them, though.
“She's not someone who stands up and will talk for the sake of talking.
“When there's something to be said, she just picks the moment quite aptly and just settles the room or gives a little rocket every now and then as well when the standards need to be lifted.”
Hampshire have had a strange old start to this season’s Vitality Blast.
They have won two of five games, including beating Essex Eagles at Chelmsford on Sunday - by 55 runs defending their 155-4. Essex were limited to 100-9 in reply.
But they have lost one and tied two. It’s clearly pretty rare that you get one tied game in a season, never mind two.
England opener Maia Bouchier top-scored with 87 off 55 balls against Essex before Aussie overseas leg-spinning all-rounder Amanda-Jade Wellington claimed a superb 5-18 from her four overs.
Opposition player to watch
Francesca Sweet is an emerging talent who may not have the reputation that someone such as a Maia Bouchier or an Amanda-Jade Wellington has. But she is a very talented batter.
Sweet, 21, signed a two-year deal with Hampshire in the winter having impressed in Tier 2 for Leicestershire last season.
She is a tall right-hander who is classy yet powerful.
A product of the age-group system at home county Sussex, she has also played senior cricket for Berkshire.
She has top-scores of 50 in this season’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup and hit 35 from number four in their Sunday T20 success over Essex.
Previous meeting
These two counties shared Blast victories last season; Hampshire winning at Emirates Old Trafford in early June and Thunder winning at Newbury in early July. It’s the latter we will be concentrating on here.
At the Enborne Lodge ground, Hampshire totalled what looked like being a competitive 174-5.
Alana King’s leg-spin struck twice, while Freya Kemp top-scored with 63 off 43 balls and Abi Norgrove was similarly aggressive for 54 off 35.
However, Lancashire made light work of the chase thanks to a strong top-order performance led by Emma Lamb’s 66 not out off 45.
She shared 65 for the first wicket with Eve Jones and 92 for the second with Seren Smale. Both of those batters contributed important 42s.
The Red Rose won by eight wickets with an over to spare.
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