Lancashire Women do the double on the Blaze
While the crowd didn’t suggest it at Emirates Old Trafford, there was plenty at stake. The Blaze were sitting top of the table, with just five points separating the top four, while Lancashire were clinging on to the last semi-final spot. Add to that the players fighting for selection in the next England squad, due to be announced in the coming days, and the presence of Charlotte Edwards, watching on like she was choosing a group of gladiators for combat.
When these two sides met last month, an unbeaten 130 from Emma Lamb set up an eight-wicket win, and Edwards was watching that day too. Lamb is exactly the sort of player Edwards will be looking at when she names her first England squad. She has seen most of Lamb’s international career in her role at Sky, and will know full well that previous coaches have not made space for someone who accumulates.
Lamb’s fifty came in 55 balls, with six fours and a six. It was the mark of someone in form, picking the bad ball early and punishing it. Her opening partner, Eve Jones, took 16 balls to get off the mark, a stark contrast as Lancashire began their chase of 223.
Not that there was any hurry. It was the perfect day for batting: a flat pitch and warm skies made for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Both were in form and looked comfortable.
The Blaze needed something to pull them back into the game, as they had been bowled out for a score just below par. Amy Jones, needing a score of her own, batted responsibly as wickets fell around her. Had she not fallen, pulling Mahika Gaur to Sophie Morris at deep square leg shortly after reaching 52, the total might have edged into truly competitive territory.
That it was reasonable at all was largely thanks to Ella Claridge, batting at seven, as with England players available, she had been pushed down the order. After a breakthrough season last year, she was determined to prove she is still vital to this team, top-scoring with 63 before becoming Grace Potts’s fourth wicket. It was the England international’s moment to impress, and with Edwards watching, she picked it well to finish with four for 37.
The Blaze needed a bowler to bring them back into the game, and it could only be Kirstie Gordon. WIth probably half an ear on what was going on in the football, she continued her impressive knack of picking up wickets at Old Trafford. Jones was her first victim, with a caught and bowled that would have eased the nerves of the returning Blaze captain. It opened the door, and Sarah Glenn had Katie Mack lbw for a five-ball duck. Seren Smale, another batter with England aspirations, was stumped for six by Amy Jones and Gordon was on a roll.
She finished with three for 33, with her team firmly back in the running. The wicket of Lamb would be vital, and it came with a change of bowling. Kathryn Bryce, returning for a second spell, had her caught behind for 74, to a ball that was drifting down leg. The faintest of edges saw the umpire raise his finger.
Wickets were starting to fall, and the nerves were starting to switch. Lancashire still had Ellie Threlkeld and Kate Cross, two campaigners who have seen it all. They built steadily, absorbing the pressure and collecting runs calmly when they could.
The run rate was never a problem for Lancashire, and they just needed their experienced pair to stay there. The partnership crossed the fifty mark, and the target kept coming down. There were flashes of cover drives that sped to the boundary, and there was little The Blaze could do to stop them flowing.
It’s a result that will hurt the East Midlands side. They were without Orla Prendergast and Grace Ballinger, two bowlers who would have altered the balance of the side. Their strength is that they never give up, and they fought to the end.
This win will do a lot for Lancashire’s confidence. As Thunder, they struggled to find consistency, but this shows they can mix it with the best this year.
