Thunder keep cup hopes alive with victory in Blackpool

Electing to bat at Stanley Park, Thunder posted 165-5, with Lamb’s 63 the highlight of an entertaining contest between two sides needing to win to have any chance of progressing.

The game remained in the balance for much of the afternoon, with Stars giving themselves a great chance after an opening stand of 87 before Thunder’s bowlers struck back in emphatic fashion to dismiss the visitors for 149.

Lamb dominated the Thunder innings from the start, hitting the first ball for a boundary before tucking into the Stars’ bowling with a combination of power and finesse.

Liberty Heap offered good support, hitting two fours of her own off Claudie Cooper’s first over as the opening pair reached an impressive 50 without loss off the first powerplay.

A truly bizarre sixth over saw Cooper put down consecutive caught and bowled chances offered by Heap before Lamb was also dropped in the deep.

The first wicket partnership was finally broken in the eighth over for 58, when Phoebe Franklin uprooted Heap’s middle stump for 19.

Joined in the middle by Fi Morris, Lamb continued to attack and bought up her half-century with a delicate scoop shot off Ryana MacDonald-Gay before hitting the same bowler for consecutive sixes.

Lamb’s dismissal for 63 after skying a Franklin delivery to Kalea Moore triggered a mini collapse as Deandra Dottin and skipper Ellie Threlkeld both departed cheaply to Danielle Gregory to leave Thunder 120-4 and in danger of wasting their good start.

But Naomi Dattani hit an excellent 30 off 18 balls before Thunder closed on 165-5, with Morris the last batter out for 44 in the final over.

Stars’ reply set off in thrilling style, with Bryony Smith and Paige Schofield attacking Mahika Gaur and Kate Cross from the outset.

By the end of the powerplay, Stars were 55 without loss and Smith brought up her half-century off 31 balls with six fours and two sixes as the opening partnership shot to 87 off 58 balls.

Then came the turning point, Olivia Bell bowling Smith for 51 before trapping Scholfield for 31 two balls later to leave the visitors 88-2.

Two wickets then fell to consecutive Lamb balls, with Aylish Cranstone brilliantly stumped by Threlkeld without scoring and MacDonald-Gay feathering her first ball behind as Stars were reduced to 95-4

Cross returned to remove England teammate Tash Farrant caught and bowled for six, with Franklin falling the same way off Tara Norris for 12.

Dattani completed an excellent all-round performance by picking up the wickets of Moore and Alexa Stonehouse, with the visitors' innings petering out on 149.

Thunder remain four points behind Northern Diamonds but victory over them in Wednesday's final group game could lift the North-West side into the top three.

That match is also at Blackpool, starting at 11.30am, and form the first half of a double-header which later sees Lancashire Lightning face Worcestershire Rapids in the Vitality Blast.