The 05 edition of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy (RHFT) gets underway on the 20th of April, 2024, at 3:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST). In the opening round of fixtures, match no. 4 will feature a face-off between Western Storm and the Sunrisers at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.
Squads:
Western Storm – Sophie Luff (C), Niamh Holland, Isla Thompson, Dani Gibson, Nicole Harvey, Imogen Cooper, Lola Harris, Chloe Skelton, Emma Corney, Isobel Patel, Alex Griffiths, Claire Nicholas, Heather Knight, Lauren Filer, Fran Wilson, Katie Jones, Sophia Smale, Mollie Robbins, Nat Wraith, Robecca Rodgers, Amanda-Jade Wellington*
Sunrisers – Grace Scrivens (C), Charley Phillips, Cordelia Griffith, Amara Carr, Amu Surenkumar, Esmae MacGregor, Lissy Macleod, Abtaha Maqsood, Flo Miller, Jess Olorenshaw, Jo Gardner, Kate Coppack, Kelly Castle, Ariana Dowse, Eva Gray, Jodi Grewcock, Katherine Speed, Mady Villiers, Nicola Hancock*, Dane van Niekerk*
Players to watch out:
Alex Griffiths
The 21-year-old all-rounder from 12 outings in the 2023 RHFT season amassed 203 runs and took 11 wickets, with respective bests being 67 and 2/25. Being handy with both bat and ball, Alex had a notable season last time around and will want to build on the success.
Lauren Filer
The 23-year-old pacer from 5 RHFT innings last summer picked up 8 wickets, maintaining an economy rate of 6.54. Lauren featured in 3 of England’s games against New Zealand only recently but finished wicketless. She’ll be backed to find her way back amongst wickets.
Grace Scrivens
The 20-year-old all-rounder in the ’23 RHFT, from 10 outings, racked up 398 runs, while also bagging 5 wickets, registering respective bests of 107 and 1/5. Though Grace didn’t find much success in a recent ‘A’ series, she can be relied upon for all-round efforts.
Maddy Villiers
The 24-year-old all-rounder accumulated 211 runs and claimed 12 wickets from 11 RHFT outings in the previous RHFT edition. Fresh off a good campaign with the England ‘A’ squad on the tour of New Zealand, especially with the ball, the team will count on her for the goods.
Pitch:
The center wicket at Sophia Gardens presents challenges for batters due to its quick and pace-friendly nature, leading to an average score in the 220s. However, once batters have spent sufficient time in the middle, they can make the most of it as scoring becomes easier.
Weather:
With light winds, humidity at 64%, and the temperature forecasted to hover around 12°C, the conditions are pleasant for a complete game of cricket in Cardiff. The overhead conditions are expected to be mostly sunny, and the chances of rain are minimal.
Fantasy playing XI:
Amara Carr, Alex Griffiths, Sophie Luff, Jo Gardner, Mady Villiers, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Grace Scrivens, Dani Gibson, Jodi Grewcock, Nicola Hancock, Lauren Filer
Match details:
Date – April 20, 2024
Time – 3:00 PM IST
Venue – Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on the regional team’s website and YouTube channel.