The Manchester Originals squad boasts of 15 strong members, including two players from South Africa and one from India. The other 12 players are from England, with two internationals and 10 domestic stars.
Squad: Georgie Boyce, Natalie Brown, Danielle Collins, Kate Cross (c), Mignon du Preez, Alice Dyson, Sophie Ecclestone, Cordelia Griffith, Alexandra Hartley, Hannah Jones, Emma Lamb, Lizelle Lee, Eleanor Threlkeld (wk), Harmanpreet Kaur, Laura Jackson
Here’s a look at each of the 15 members of the squad:
Georgia Boyce:
She plays for Lancashire and North West Thunder, having previously represented Nottinghamshire as well as Lancashire Thunder in the Women’s Cricket Super League. In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020, playing for Thunder, the right hand bat scored 105 runs in six innings. She has been a part of England academy and development teams. She is also one of the 41 players to have received a full-time domestic contract from the ECB in December 2020.
Danielle Collins:
She is a left hand bat, who plays for Lancashire, Cumbria and North West Thunder. She made her domestic debut in 2018. In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020, playing for Thunder, she scored 27 runs in three matches, which included her best score of 18. In 2021, she played for Lancashire as well as Cumbria in the Women’s Twenty20 Cup.
Mignon du Preez:
She is a former captain of South Africa, who led the side from 2011 to 2016. Under her leadership, South Africa reached their first ever World T20 semi-final in 2014. Apart from her effective captainship, she has been one of the most prolific batters in the team. The right hand top order bat has scored 5312 runs across 246 international games, including 1750 T20I runs at a strike rate of 100.86. She has seven half centuries in the shortest format of the game.
Cordelia Griffith:
She plays her domestic cricket for Middlesex and Sunrisers, having previously represented Essex, Surrey Stars and Yorkshire Diamonds in the Women’s Cricket Super League. She made her county debut in 2010. The right hand bat scored 84 runs in four matches, which included her best score of 41, in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020, playing for Sunrisers. In December 2020, she became one of the 41 players to get a full-time domestic contract from the ECB.
Lizelle Lee:
She plays for South Africa as an opening bat. She can keep wickets too. She has the reputation of being a hard hitter of the cricket ball. The right hand bat has featured in 169 international games and has scored 4774 runs, including 1782 T20I runs at a strike rate of 109.66. She also has a century and 12 half centuries in the shortest format of the game. She can tear apart any opposition when she is on song.
Natalie Brown:
She is an all-rounder, who plays for Lancashire and North West Thunder, having previously represented Lancashire Thunder in the Women’s Cricket Super League. She made her domestic debut in 2006. In The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020, playing for Thunder, she mustered 189 runs in six innings, including her best score of 52. The right arm quick also accounted for four wickets in six matches.
Harmanpreet Kaur:
She is India’s T20I captain. She is a dashing all-rounder who has the ability to contribute in all three aspects of the game, batting, bowling and fielding. The right hand bat and right arm off spinner has featured in 223 international games and has scored 4776 runs, including 2186 T20I runs, with the highest score of 109. With the ball, she has picked up 29 T20I wickets. In 2020, she led India to their first ever World T20 final.
Emma Lamb:
She plays for Lancashire and North West Thunder, and has previously played for Lancashire Thunder. She is an all-rounder, who bats right handed and bowls right arm off spin. She is a part of the England academy. In 2016, she toured with the England team to Sri Lanka to play matches against Sri Lanka A and Australia Shooting Stars. In 2017, she again played for England in a pre-season tour match against Ireland. In addition to this, she plays alongside her brother Daniel Lamb for Bramhall for Cheshire Premier League.
Eleanor Threlkeld:
She is a wicket-keeper and a right hand bat, who plays for Lancashire and North West Thunder, having previously represented Lancashire Thunder in the Women’s Cricket Super League. In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020, playing for Thunder, she scored 114 runs in six matches, including her best score of 52. She also had a good outing behind the stumps as she accounted for five dismissals, which made her the third most successful keeper in the tournament.
Kate Cross:
She is one the vital cogs in the England’s bowling line-up. She has the experience of playing in 47 international games. She has scalped 67 wickets, including 11 wickets in T20I. In 2006 she became the first female cricketer to be accepted into the Lancashire academy. She has the reputation of bowling tight line and length and can make life difficult for the batters when she is in rhythm.
Alice Dyson:
She is a right arm quick bowler, who plays for Lancashire and North West Thunder, having previously represented Derbyshire and Lancashire Thunder in the Women’s Cricket Super League. She made her domestic debut in 2012. In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020, playing for Thunder, she scored 52 runs and scalped two wickets in four outings.
Laura Jackson:
She is an all-rounder, who plays for Lancashire and North West Thunder. Prior to this, she played for Cheshire and Cumbria, having made her debut in 2015. In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020, playing for Thunder, she scored 23 runs and scalped two wickets in three matches.
Sophie Ecclestone:
She is the number 1 T20I bowler in the world of women’s cricket. The slow left arm spinner is a part of the England national team since 2016. She has the experience of playing in 78 international games. She has scalped 125 wickets, including 64 wickets in T20Is. She is a right hand bat and can contribute lower down the order.
Alexandra Hartley:
She is a slow left arm orthodox bowler, who plays for Lancashire and North West Thunder. Between 2016 and 2019, she appeared in 28 ODI and 4 T20Is for England, and was part of the side that won the 2017 World Cup. In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020, playing for Thunder, she scalped 11 wickets in six matches and was the leading wicket-taker for her side.
Hannah Jones:
She is a slow left arm bowler, who plays for Lancashire and North West Thunder. In The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020, playing for Thunder, she scalped four wickets in six matches at an average of 32.75 and an economy of just 3.16. In December 2020, she became one of the 41 players to get a full-time domestic contract from the ECB.
I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.