Sophie Luff caps excellent fightback to lead Storm victory

Western Storm 252 for 6 (Luff 76*, Ecclestone 3-16) beat Thunder 186 (Skelton 3-35, Smale 3-42) by 66 runs

Western Storm clinched their first win in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy after defeating Thunder by 66 runs at Emirates Old Trafford.

An unbeaten 76 by Sophie Luff capped an excellent fightback by Western Storm who made 252 for 6 from their 50 overs after a superb exhibition of spin bowling by Sophie Ecclestone had threatened to derail their innings.

England spinner Ecclestone took 3 wickets for 16 runs off her 10 overs, but three good partnerships rescued the Storm who added 162 runs from their final 30 overs to post a challenging score.

That proved to be enough as Thunder subsided to 186 all out off 42.4 overs with Sophia Smale and Chloe Skelton taking three wickets apiece.

Western Storm struck an early blow as the Thunder set off in pursuit of 253 when Seren Smale cut a short delivery from Lauren Filer to Dani Gibson at cover for 9.

Emma Lamb and Katie Mack rebuilt with a positive 62-run partnership off 69 balls with Mack launching Amanda-Jade Wellington for consecutive sixes at the start of the leg spinner’s second over.

Wellington hit back with two big wickets, bowling Mack for 28 and Lamb for 38 to have Thunder 85 for 3 at the start of the 19th over. That quickly became 104 for 6 after 25 overs as three wickets fell for six runs in a disastrous spell for Thunder.

Off-spinner Skelton had Fi Morris caught behind for 16, then bowled Naomi Dattani first ball followed by Alex Griffiths finding an edge from Ecclestone that was well taken by wicketkeeper Nat Wraith standing up.

Skipper Ellie Threlkeld and Kate Cross rallied Thunder with a partnership of 69 off 83 balls. Cross hit a six off Skelton in making a patient 36 until bowled by left-arm spinner Smale. Threlkeld departed for 32 when lbw sweeping at Skelton two balls later to leave the hosts 173 for 8 in the 40th over.

Smale wrapped things up with the wickets of Mahika Gaur and Phoebe Graham for 10 to seal a convincing victory.

Storm made an excellent start after being put in to bat with Griffiths and Smale posting a second consecutive fifty opening partnership in the face of some disciplined bowling by England duo Cross and Gaur.

Griffiths had accelerated the scoring but was bowled for 24 after aiming a wild slog at Ecclestone. That was the first of three wickets to fall for nine runs in 17 balls with Smale, who had been fortunate to survive a run out chance when on 4, bowled for 23 by Ecclestone after playing back and beaten by a turning delivery, while Fran Wilson chipped Graham to Dattani at mid-on for 7.

Gibson hit three boundaries off her first seven deliveries but had no answer to a quicker, turning delivery from Ecclestone to be bowled for 16 with the fourth wicket falling on 80 at the end of the 19th over.

Storm fought back splendidly from that point, with captain Luff and Wraith mounting a determined alliance of 70 across 17 overs to counter the control exerted by the Thunder spinners with Ecclestone to the fore.

Wraith hit the first six of the match off Hannah Jones before falling to a great catch by Ecclestone at mid-on off Graham for 38.

But Luff found great support from Niamh Holland, who contributed a useful 22 off 24 balls in a 46-run partnership, and Wellington who made a rapid unbeaten 31 off 19 balls over the closing overs.

Luff, who reached her fifty from 82 balls, became the glue that held the innings together, initially consolidating after coming to the crease in the 15th over before providing the late acceleration as Storm added 83 from the last ten overs to set a target that proved to be more than enough.

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