Lancashire Cricket Board Women start with back to back wins

LCB Women made a successful start to their NatWest Women’s County T20 Division 1 campaign after their trip down to North Maidenhead CC yesterday was rewarded with back to back wins over last year’s champions Kent and hosts Berkshire.

The first game against Kent saw Lancashire win the toss and elect to bat first in the sweltering heat. Openers Emma Lamb and Evelyn Jones got off to a great start scoring 81 for the 1st wicket before Jones fell for an excellent 40. Lamb followed soon after for 33 but Kate Cross hit a rapid 30, and with Natalie Brown scoring 14, the Red Rose girls closed their innings on an impressive 143-4.

 What looked a stiff task for Kent was soon made more difficult as wickets began to tumble against Lancashire’s tight bowling and fielding. Lamb was again instrumental with ball taking 4/15 in her 4 overs with Sophie Ecclestone taking 3/6 in her spell. Cross also bowled a miserly spell conceding just 8 runs from her 4 overs and Kent subsided to 71 all out.

The 2nd game started almost immediately and once again Lancashire batted first. Another solid start of 34 from openers Lamb and Jones was followed by 3 quick wickets before Brown and Jessica Couser launched a recovery. Brown made a very useful 26 whilst Couser was to end unbeaten on 21. With a late flurry of boundaries from Rachel Dickinson the innings closed on a healthy 130-9.

The Berkshire reply was soon in trouble at 10-2 and struggled to get on top of some steady Lancashire bowling as wickets continued to fall steadily. Cross and Lamb each picked up 2 cheap wickets with the rest of the bowlers sharing out the wickets as Berkshire were eventually all out for 102 to leave Lancashire winners by 28 runs.

Dan Atkinson, LCB Women’s First Team Head Coach, said: “It was great to get up and running with two wins yesterday in our opening NatWest Women’s County T20 fixtures. The players put together two great team performances to win the two games and it was particularly pleasing that everyone contributed with some good individual performances. They have set their standard now for the rest of the competition and the team are really looking forward to the rest of the T20 matches coming up.”

The women get the chance to build on their start in 2 weeks’ time on Sunday July 2nd when they take on Somerset and Middlesex at Widnes CC in the next round of the NatWest Women’s County T20 Division 1.