Report & Reaction: Lancashire v Hampshire Women, Metro Bank One Day Cup

Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s competition – Lancashire 157-4 beat Hampshire 153 all out

Report by Ken Grime for the ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

A good all-round performance with bat and ball saw Lancashire Women win their second game and inflict a first defeat of the season on Hampshire Women in the Women’s Metro Bank One Day Cup by six wickets with 16.3 overs to spare at Emirates Old Trafford.

Kate Cross took 3-31 to lead a dominant bowling performance as Hampshire were bowled out for 153 in 42.1 overs, with Amanda-Jade Wellington, batting at number eight, top-scoring with 32.

An opening partnership of 93 between Eve Jones (47) and Emma Lamb broke the back of the Lancashire run chase, and despite two wickets in 8 balls by Wellington, Lamb and Maddie Penna (36 not out), steered their side to the verge of victory, Lamb out for 56 just before Penna settled matters with a six. 

Lamb and Eve Jones batted cautiously at the start of the Lancashire reply, scoring 36 runs during the ten over powerplay with Lamb hitting the only two boundaries. Jones straight drove Bex Tyson for her first four in the next over and the opening pair moved serenely to reach their fifty partnership from 83 balls.

Once established the two Lancashire openers started to play a more expansive game with one eye on achieving a bonus point win, Eve Jones lofting both Tyson and Wellington for fours in successive overs but brilliantly stumped by Rhianna Southby off Wellington for 47 who then bowled Seren Smale for 0.

Lamb, having been dropped on 18, chipped away steadily at the remaining runs, reaching her half century from 76 balls, alongside Australian overseas debutant Penna who hoisted Megan Sturge for a huge leg side six as Lancashire coasted home despite losing Lamb and Ellie Threlkeld when four runs were needed to win.

After being put in to bat, Maia Bouchier was caught behind in the third over to give Cross her 100^th Lancashire wicket in the professional era and the hosts exerted an early stranglehold with Hampshire only scoring 29 runs during the ten over powerplay.

Ella McCaughan and Abi Norgrove dug in to post fifty for the second wicket before both fell in quick succession. Norgrove pulled the first ball of Mahika Gaur’s second spell to Maddie Penna at midwicket for 20 while McCaughan holed out to Ailsa Lister at mid-off off left arm spinner Hannah Jones for 30.

Jones, who returned 2-24 from eight overs, took her second wicket when Southby picked out Grace Potts at midwicket for 4 to have Hampshire struggling on 74-4 after 23 overs.

The visitors soon suffered further blows when Sturge hit Penna’s sixth delivery to Eve Jones at cover for 10 and Nancy Harman drove the returning Cross to Seren Smale at mid-on for 1 to be 103-6 in the 33^rd over.

Skipper Naomi Dattani did her best to take her side up to a defendable total with a determined 29 but it some late hitting from Wellington with 32 off 40 balls to take Hampshire’s total past the 150-mark in a tenth-wicket partnership of 23 with Tyson (3 not out).

Paul Pritchard, Hampshire Women Head Coach said:

“Obviously it's a disappointing result.

“I think batting first, I don't think we adapted to the pitch and the conditions well enough and early enough, so probably we ended up a good 70 runs short.

“I think it was a slowish pitch, but I think it bounced as well, so it made driving the ball difficult and we kept trying to drive it, so I think that was our downfall. We just didn't quite adapt to the bounce of the pitch early enough.

“We would have bowled if we won the toss. I think there was a little bit in it, as there is in most grounds at 10.30 starts, so we would have bowled first.

“However, Lancashire bowled extremely well. They attacked the length and attacked the stumps and made it very difficult for us.

“Lancashire played some good cricket today. They were worthy winners.

“I think it was a challenging day at the office. I think we would have learned a fair bit from the way we went about it and hopefully we'll regroup and go again on Wednesday.

Ellie Threlkeld, Lancashire Women Captain said:

“I thought our bowlers did a very good job in the first innings, keeping them to that score. It felt like we had control of that whole 50 overs. Every batter that came in felt like we squeezed and put pressure on them.

“I thought Crossy (Kate Cross) was excellent throughout, and the seamers, when they came back in particular, were really good. They hit their straps today, which was nice.

“We probably weren't at our best in the field, but I thought that was probably the best we'd bowled this season, and it set the second innings up well. 
“Eve (Jones) and Lamby (Emma Lamb) and those who came in played really well to knock it off in a professional manner, so I'm really pleased. They were excellent.

“From the little I've seen of Maddie (Penna), she looks like a really good player, and she's added a lot to the group already. Great to have her with us, and I'm looking forward to seeing what she can do over the next few games.”