Lancashire 239, The Blaze 211

Gerry Wolstenholme

The form book was completely turned on its head in the Women’s Metro Bank One Day Cup last Wednesday when Lancashire Women comfortably defeated the league-leading The Blaze by scoring a most impressive 239 all out and then dismissing their opponents for 211 to achieve an excellent 28-run victory.

Lancashire’s skipper Ellie Threlkeld won the toss and decided to bat, which proved to be a good decision as Eve Jones, 14, and Emma Lamb, 21, put on 34 for the first wicket. The former was the first to go when Charley Phillips bowled her with the first ball of the 10th over and the latter followed her to the pavilion, caught behind by Ella Claridge off Emma Jones with the score at 57. 

Then, Threlkeld, leg before wicket to Maria Andrews, and Australian Katie Mack, stumped by Claridge off Charli Knott, both made 12 to leave Lancashire at 91-4 before Seren Smale and Fi Morris batted beautifully to put on 94 runs for the fifth wicket. Moris hit eight fours in her 57 from 68 balls and then, going for one big shot too many, she was stumped by Claridge off Knott to make it 185-5. Smale then reached her half-century before Georgia Elwiss bowled her for 51, with three fours off 66 balls and it was 192-6.

Kate Cross then struck a belligerent 14, with three fours, Grace Potts, six, and Hannah Jones, five, then helped Danielle Collins, three fours in her 22, before she was run out from the final ball and with Venus Weerappuli one not out, the innings closed at an eminently defendable 239. Six Blaze bowlers shared the wickets.

With over 200 in seven of their previous nine games, Blaze could not be counted out. And when captain Marie Kelly and Tammy Beaumont opened confidently and put on 72 off 15 overs, Blaze looked troublesome. But the young 16-year-old leg spinner from Isleworth, Weerapuli, was to spoil the party with the final ball of her third over when, from a full length ball Kelly, on 32 with five fours, took a stride down the track, did not quite get to the length of the ball and got more height than distance for Collins to take the catch at mid-off; Weerapuli 1-9 from three overs. 

With Morris having joined the attack, the two spinners tightened Lancashire’s grip on the game as Blaze lost their next three players for a combined total of 13 runs in 34 balls. Knott, three, was drawn forward by a looping googly from Weerapuli tossed one up that utterly defeated her advance and Threlkeld duly did the rest; 76-2. The wicket supported the recent comment from Charlotte Edwards that Weerapuli was the best junior in the game at the moment.

Elwiss then struck a super boundary through extra cover (the first boundary since the 12th over) but with the final ball of that same 22nd over she tried to swing Morris over cover, skied the ball and Lamb took a simple catch; 93-3. And in her following over Morris’ flighted off-spin had Emma Jones’ pulling, only to be caught by Potts at mid-wicket for one; 97-4.

Meanwhile Beaumont kept the score moving by some deft touches and good running between the wickets and she found a useful partner in Prisha Thanawala. The latter matched Beaumont stroke for stroke and the pair added a valuable 62 runs before Blaze lost the vital wicket of Beaumont for 64 made from 95 balls with five fours. Hannah Jones’ slow left arm spin defeated her when she was unsure of whether to play forward or back and as she changed her mind, the spin took the ball past the edge of the bat and knocked over her off stump; 159-5. 

Three runs later it was 162-6 with a rather bizarre dismissal. Morris bowled a ball narrowly down the leg side, the umpire anticipating a wide, prepared to signal to the scorers. Claridge, two, was attempting to play the ball outside her legs. She did somehow play the ball but it hit her back leg and rolled onto the stumps. Threlkeld immediately knew what had happened and appealed. In fairness the umpire was perhaps unsighted and signalled a wide before it was pointed out the wicket had been broken. He checked with his colleague at square leg before he confirmed the dismissal and cancelled the wide!

Thanawala meantime had been batting steadily and with Lucy Higham the score was advanced to 172 when Weerapuli returned for her ninth over and it was a terrifically flighted maiden (the only one of the match). This put the pressure on Blaze as Morris prepared for her final over; a single came from the first ball and a wicket from the second as Thanawala, 20, drove a catch straight to Cross at mid-on, 173-7. Morris had finished with 4-33 from her 10 overs to complete a fine day’s work.

The writing was on the wall as Grace Ballinger joined Higham. And, despite Weerapuli’s final over only going for two runs, they took the score to 185 before Ballinger was caught at wide mid-off by Eve Jones off Cross, who very much deserved her wicket, 185-8.

A flurry of runs from Higham and Phillips took the total to 205 before Potts returning from the south end induced two failed reverse sweeps from Higham before a third was well executed and ran to the boundary. But the following ball, striking out, she was caught by Collins running back from mid-off and the ninth wicket had gone down for 205.Nine wickets down and 35 runs required for victory with the last pair at the wicket looked most unlikely. Six runs were added but Cross bowled a perfect yorker from the first ball of the final over and Phillips was bowled for 15 and at 211 all out The Blaze’s fire was out as they suffered only their second defeat in 10 games. Fi Morris was without doubt the player of the match.

The victory moved Lancashire one place up the table to be eighth of the nine teams while The Blaze remained top with their lead cut to four points as the chasing Hampshire had also won. Finally, don’t forget there is more Metro Bank action at Stanley Park on Sunday 23 June, 10.30am start.