Thunder 104 for five (Lamb 42) beat Lightning 103 (Ecclestone 5-15) by 5 wickets
The victory was accomplished with 28 balls to spare and ensures that Thunder don’t end backside of their group, that undesirable honour being taken by Lightning, whose whole of 103 was comfortably overhauled.
But Lightning’s innings had acquired off to an excellent begin when the guests took 27 runs off the primary ten balls of the innings, 16 of them conceded by Kate Cross’s opening over. However, that early momentum was misplaced when Marie Kelly tried one cross-batted swipe too many at Alex Hartley’s left-arm spin and was bowled for 17.
In the third over, Ecclestone had Ella Claridge caught by Phoebe Graham at mid-on for nought and Bethany Harmer pouched at backward sq. leg for 7. That left Lightning on 29 off 3 after three overs and solely 15 runs have been scored off the remaining 18 balls of the Powerplay.
Thunder struck the following blow when Sarah Bryce was neatly caught and bowled by Hannah Jones for 13 and when Bethan Ellis’s prime-edged sweep off Emma Lamb was nonchalantly plucked out of the air by Graham at backward sq. leg on the 45, Lightning have been 54 for five after 9 overs.
Kathryn Bryce and Piepa Cleary tried to stabilise the innings however their try foundered when non-striker Bryce known as Cleary for a single however was run out for 13 by Graham’s sharp throw. Lightning’s activity now was to stability regular accumulation with the precedence of batting out their remaining eight overs however Cleary and Lucy Higham’s cautious progress was derailed within the sixteenth over with the rating on 86, when one other bullet throw by Graham ran out Higham for 16.
Ecclestone then cleaned up Sophie Munro, Grace Ballinger and Josie Groves, the final of her victims well stumped by Ellie Threlkeld first ball, to go away Lightning all out for 103 with two of their overs unused.
Thunder’s pursuit started much more poorly than Lightning’s had. Georgie Boyce was lbw to Kelly for 1 and Cross caught at mid-off with Ballinger the profitable bowler for 9, each wickets falling within the first three overs, and when Ecclestone was leg earlier than to Kathryn Bryce for 2, the house aspect have been 25 for 3 after 4.5 overs.
That, although was the place the nice news appeared to finish for Lightning. Lamb moved rigorously onto the assault and had made 42 off 35 balls when she was leg earlier than to Kathryn Bryce. That was on the midway stage of the Thunder innings and the house aspect have been nonetheless effectively positioned on 75 for 4, particularly so since Kelly had been faraway from the assault for bowling two beamers above waist peak.
Danielle Collins was leg earlier than to Josie Groves for 12 within the subsequent over however by that stage Thunder wanted 23 runs off 9 overs with 5 wickets in hand. That job was accomplished with litte fuss by Threlkeld and Daisy Mullan, skipper Threlkeld ending unbeaten on 12. Kathryn Bryce, with 2 for twenty-four, was probably the most profitable Lightning bowler.