Brief Scores:
Lancashire Thunder – 141/6 in 20 overs (S Luus – 62, C Nicholas – 2/25)
Western Storm – 143/4 in 19.3 overs (F Wilson – 54, H Knight – 50)
Key Performers:
- Sune Luus (Lancashire Thunder) scored 62 off 48 balls to get her side to put up a challenging target for Western Storm. Her knock was studded with 3 boundaries and 4 sixes.
- Fran Wilson (Western Storm) made 54 off only 35 deliveries to keep Western Storm in the hunt. She scored 8 boundaries on her way to 54.
- Heather Knight (Western Storm) made 50 runs off 52 balls hitting 4 boundaries to set up the platform required to chase down the total
- Claire Nicholas (Western Storm)bowled economically conceding just 25 runs from 4 overs while picking up 2 wickets.
Western Storm entered this match with a win in their opening match whereas Lancashire Thunder had played 2 matches and lost both of them. This was an important game for them as they faced Western Storm at Taunton.
Lancashire Thunder won the toss and opted to bat first. They lost their opener, Georgie Boyce, early caught by Smriti Mandhana off the bowling of Deepthi Sharma. Tahlia McGrath joined the talented South African all-rounder Sune Luus in a bid to overcome the loss of an early wicket. The pair rotated the strike well and occasionally hit boundaries to keep the scoreboard moving. Sune Luus brought up her half-century off only 42 deliveries as the pair added 66 runs to the total. However, with the score on 86, Tahlia McGrath became Claire Nicholas’ first victim caught by Fran Wilson. She scored 22 runs off 30 deliveries hitting 2 boundaries. At the other end, Sune Luus lofted Nicholas to 2 sixes before getting out in the same over as Lancashire Thunder was 98/3 in 15 overs. Sune Luus had scored a well-made 62 off 48 balls hitting 3 fours and 4 sixes.
Sophia Dunkley joined Harmanpreet Kaur in the middle but got out cheaply to make it 108/4 in the 17th over of the innings. Harmanpreet helped herself to a few more boundaries before Sophie Ecclestone also lost her wicket to Freya Davies adding just 5 runs to the board. Harmanpreet continued on and eventually got out to the last ball of the innings attempting a non-existent second run. She played a handy cameo of 30 runs scored of just 18 deliveries hitting 4 boundaries as Lancashire Thunder finished with 141 for 6 in their 20 overs. Claire Nicholas was the pick of the bowlers taking 2 wickets while conceding just 25 runs off her 4 overs.
Chasing 142 for their second win of the season, Western Storm got off to a poor start losing their openers Smriti Mandhana and Rachel Priest cheaply inside the Powerplay. With the score on a precarious 18/2 in 4 overs, Heather Knight & Fran Wilson combined together to get the chase back on track. They slowly crept up towards the target by rotating the strike and kept the scoreboard ticking with the odd boundary. Fran Wilson was the aggressor during that partnership as she struck boundaries regularly to bring up her half-century in only 32 balls. She got out soon after with Alex Hartley taking a good catch off her own bowling to end her innings on 54 in 35 deliveries. She had scored as many as 8 boundaries.
With the score on 106/3, Sophie Luff joined the proceedings and pushed on with an excellent cameo of 22 in just 13 deliveries but she lost her wicket to Kate Cross. Heather Knight, who was quiet at the other end and was happy with singles and twos, completed the chase in the last over by hitting a boundary. That boundary also brought up a her-half century as she ended up scoring an unbeaten 50 off 52 balls hitting 4 boundaries. Deepthi Sharma was unbeaten at the other end not having to face a ball as Western Storm ended up winning by 6 wickets with 3 balls to spare. Fran Wilson was adjudged the Player of the Match for scoring 54 of 35 deliveries hitting 8 boundaries. Among the bowlers, Emma Lumb, Sophie Ecclestone, Kate Cross, and Alex Hartley picked up a wicket each.
With the win, Western Storm won their second game of the season and are currently placed third at the points table. Lancashire Thunder lost their third game in a row and are languishing at the bottom of the table. Western Storm next plays Southern Vipers on Sunday who has also won both their games to date. Lancashire Thunder will next play Yorkshire Diamonds on Tuesday to try opening their account. Stay tuned to FemaleCricket to catch up with all the action from Kia Super League 2019.