Match Preview: Lancashire Thunder vs. Somerset, Vitality Blast Women
Lancashire Thunder v Somerset
Vitality Blast, Women
Friday May 29, 2.30pm
Emirates Old Trafford
All-rounder Fi Morris and Lancashire are determined to look on the bright side of their frustrating start to this summer’s Vitality Blast, with them losing to champions Surrey and last year’s semi-finalists The Blaze so far.
Thunder lost matches at the Kia Oval and Emirates Old Trafford on Friday and Monday, despite having had chances to win both games.
They were ideally placed at 109-1 in the 12th over against Surrey, only for the hosts to later chase down a target of 186. Against The Blaze, the visitors were 114-6 after 14 overs chasing 163 before they got over the line by three wickets.
Morris struck three times with her off-spin and said: “I’ve got full confidence we can bounce back.”
Morris was speaking ahead of Friday’s clash with Somerset at Emirates Trafford, starting at 2.30pm. It forms part of a Blast double header day with the Red Rose men, who face Leicestershire Foxes from 6.30pm.
“It’s probably been the story of our season,” she went on, referring also to a challenging first half of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup. “I don’t think we’ve been blown away at all in any game.
“We’ve lost some tight games and those key moments, the ones which go just over your head or bounce just in front. And we’ve not quite taken our chances. I don’t think we’ve been quite at the races with our fielding, which is something we really pride ourselves on.
“But we don’t want to be a nearly team.”
Morris believes that if Lancashire stick to their guns but just sharpen up a touch, they will get their rewards.
“We’d have two tough games against probably two of the favourites for the trophy,” she said.
“If we play like we’ve played in the last two games (in the ones we’ve got coming up) against Somerset, Essex and Warwickshire, I think we’ll beat them.”
Morris was excellent with the ball on Monday, returning 3-25 from four overs.
“I haven't bowled in a T20 in a little while, so I just tried to get back into the groove of it,” she said. “I was definitely happy with how it went, but we just couldn’t quite get over the line.”
Somerset have made a bright start to the Blast with two wins from three games, added to a tie.
Having tied their opening game at home to Hampshire on Friday, both sides, finishing on 159, they beat Warwickshire at Edgbaston on Sunday and Yorkshire at Taunton yesterday.
Captained by Sophie Luff, they are coached by former Australia international Erin Osborne, who has taken over from Trevor Griffin ahead of this season. Aussie batter Anika Learoyd is their overseas player.
Somerset are currently missing England trio Charlie Dean, Dani Gibson and Heather Knight as they prepare for the T20 World Cup.
Morris added: “They’ve got three really good England players.
“They’re probably a little bit lighter without them, whereas I don’t think we’re quite as light without our England players as some other teams are.
“It’s at the back end of competitions and the summer that it gets particularly interesting when you have to perform without your England players.”
Opposition player to watch
Former England Under 19s all-rounder Niamh Holland has made a superb start to the Blast with the ball, claiming six wickets with her seam.
And yesterday, she shone with the bat in their home win against Yorkshire at Taunton.
Now aged 21, homegrown product Holland didn’t strike with the ball in that game but hit a late 41 not out off 27 balls to help the hosts post a commanding 177-5 total, which the White Rose failed to match.
If Yeovil-born Holland can build on her form of the last week or so with bat and ball, she may well be making the step up from the Under 19s in the not too distant future.
Previous meeting
Lancashire beat Somerset at Taunton in mid-July last year, by four wickets chasing 133. But they were just unable to complete the Blast double, with the return fixture at Blackpool just over a month later finishing in a tie.
And it’s that one we will be concentrating on for this section of the preview.
Mahika Gaur led the way for Lancashire with an excellent 3-15 from four overs of seam to limit Somerset to 114-6 in 17 overs. Captain Sophie Luff top-scored with 36 for the visitors.
The match had been forced into a delayed start - hence 17 overs per side - because of traffic problems in the area affecting some of the players.
In reply, Lancashire finished with 114-7, despite getting off to a bright start at 34-0 inside five overs. Australian overseas leg-spinner Amanda-Jade Wellington was key to the Somerset revival with 3-24 from four overs, with no Thunder batter bettering Seren Smale’s opening 25.
Lancashire needed 13 to win off the last over from Mollie Robbins and seven off the last ball, with Alana King hitting a six over deep backward square-leg to tie.
Unfortunately, neither side went on to qualify for Finals Day.
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