Cross, Lamb amongst wickets earlier than Heap guides Thunder chase
Thunder 119 for 3 (Heap 46) beat Sunrisers 116 for 8 (Griffith 36, Cross 2-20, Lamb 2-24) by seven wickets
England trio Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone and Emma Lamb impressed with the ball and the latter with the bat as effectively to assist Thunder safe a commanding Charlotte Edwards Cup victory over Sunrisers at Emirates Old Trafford – the area’s first success of 2023.
All three are in rivalry to play on this summer season’s house Ashes from subsequent month and shared 5 wickets to restrict Sunrisers to 116 for 8 having elected to bat, laying the platform for a seven-wicket win with 21 balls remaining.
They had been miserly with both seam or spin, with Cross’s 2 for 20 from 4 overs of seam probably the most encouraging having battled in opposition to a tropical illness in current weeks. Ecclestone struck as soon as along with her left-arm spin and Lamb twice along with her offspin.
After her 2 for twenty-four, Lamb then added 31 in Thunder’s aggressive chase. But it was her opening companion Liberty Heap who shone with a profession finest 46 off 49 balls. It was additionally the 19-year-old’s highest rating in senior regional cricket.
This was Thunder’s first victory in eight 50-over and T20 matches in 2023, together with back-to-back defeats at the beginning of the Charlotte Edwards Cup. For Sunrisers, they’ve now performed three and misplaced three on this competitors.
Cross, who not too long ago revealed that she needed to undergo 9 programs of antibiotics to deal with an sickness picked up overseas in pre-season, set the tone with the second ball of solely her fifth match of the season.
She uprooted the off stump of former South Africa worldwide Dane van Niekerk for nought, a peach of an away-swinger leaving Sunrisers at 0 for 1.
Cordelia Griffith got here in and performed positively for 36 off 35 balls, together with two boundaries in as many balls in opposition to the offspin of Fi Morris – the primary lofted over mid-off and the second seared by cowl. But she was the second wicket for Cross when she miscued excessive to mid-off, leaving the rating at 64 for 3 within the twelfth over.
Crucially, just one different batter, Flo Miller from No. 7, reached 20. She was bowled by former team-mate Naomi Dattani within the ultimate over an innings which noticed Thunder captain Ellie Threlkeld chop and alter by seven totally different bowlers to disclaim Sunrisers any rhythm on the identical pitch used for Thursday’s T20 double-header day.
While Lamb returned 2 for twenty-four from her 4 overs, Ecclestone was probably the most economical bowler on present with 21for 14 from her 4.
Her wicket of Amara Carr caught at mid-off following a miscue was sandwiched in between the 2 Lamb strikes as Sunrisers slumped to 81 for six within the fifteenth over. Lamb had Grace Scrivens caught at cowl and bowled Jo Gardner.
Lamb later gave Thunder the best begin to what proved a serene chase, clipping a boundary by midwicket as 10 got here from Kate Coppack’s first over.
Both openers performed their pictures, and Heap made probably the most of being dropped on 16. Thunder reached 50 with out loss after seven overs, by which period the sport was solely going a technique.
Heap maintained tempo along with her extra skilled companion and overtook her after Lamb had been trapped lbw sweeping at captain Kelly Castle’s offspin – leaving Thunder 64 for 1 within the tenth over.
Morris flicked the offspin of Mady Villiers to quick wonderful leg shortly afterwards, leaving the rating at 74 for two within the eleventh, however Heap gained assist from West Indian abroad Deandra Dottin to get their facet over the road.
Unbeaten Dottin crashed two massive straight sixes in 26 off 15 balls, whereas Heap was bowled by Eva Gray simply shy of fifty with solely 10 to win.