Joseph Eckland And Daisy Mullan Released
Keeper-batter Joseph Eckland and all-rounder Daisy Mullan will leave Hampshire Cricket on the expiration of their contracts
The Southern Vipers hope to have left-armer Katie George available for selection as they bid to return to winning ways in the Kia Super League this weekend.
The 19-year-old seamer has missed both of Vipers two matches in the tournament so far because of a knee problem.
She trained with the squad before Wednesday’s game against Loughborough Lightning but had to pull out, although skipper Suzie Bates is hopeful she can travel to Liverpool for Sunday’s game against Lancashire Thunder.
George certainly fits the bill as one of the up-and-coming players England Head Coach Mark Robinson is hoping can make an impact on this season’s Super League. She made her T20 debut in India last winter before playing her first one-day international against New Zealand in the recent series.
Capable of swinging the ball at decent pace, her batting is also improving and Bates is hopeful that she can give her the right sort of selection headache.
She said: “Katie trained well before Wednesday’s game but then had a little reaction in her knee. I know the girls want her back in the side but we need her 100% right.
“We will give her the next two days to get ready and hopefully she will be in the side with us when we go to Liverpool.”
The Vipers began their tournament with victory over Surrey Stars only to suffer a rare home defeat on Wednesday at the The Ageas Bowl when Loughborough Lightning chased down a target of 105 with seven balls to spare and six wickets in hand.
The stroke-players on both sides struggled to come to terms with a slow pitch but there were some positives for Bates, not least the form of fellow New Zealander Amelia Kerr whose four overs of leg spin cost just six runs and brought her the wicket of Rachael Haynes.
Kerr bemused several opponents with her wrong ‘un and her control impressed Bates.
“Amelia was outstanding,” said Bates.
“For someone who is only 17 to bowl as she did in the power-play was superb and she just seems to take everything in her stride.
“I thought Tash Farrant has bowled well in the first two games as well, but we need out batters to back it up and give our bowlers something more to defend.”
Bates’s new-look opening partnership with Danni Wyatt has yet to fire but she stresses that it’s a collective effort.
“We didn’t get off to the start we’d like on Wednesday and not to bat the whole 20 overs made it very tough for us,” she added.
“It was tough with no pace in the wickets but you have to adapt, maybe we need to be hitting down the ground more on those sorts of pitches. But it’s a long tournament and I’m sure we can bounce back.”
Keeper-batter Joseph Eckland and all-rounder Daisy Mullan will leave Hampshire Cricket on the expiration of their contracts
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