The East Midlands franchise cricket team set up to play in this years inaugural Rachel Heyhoe Flint Trophy were twice beaten over the weekend as Lightning (covering Lincs, Derbys, Leics & Notts) lost to Thunder (of the North West) on Saturday before being beaten by the Northern Diamonds (covering Yorkshire & Durham) on bank holiday Monday.
On Saturday at Trent Bridge, Lightening were unable to chase down 206 from the away sides 50 overs as they were bowled out for 146 with 14 overs left to spare.
Notts bowler Sophie Munro taking 3/32 the best of the Lightening bowling figures with a 52 from Sarah Bryce not enough to stop the Thunder from an easy victory.
On Monday at Durham things were much closer as Lightening lost by just nine runs with the Diamonds hitting 226/9 from 50 overs with Natalie Sciver smashing a fabulous 104 and Jenny Gunn of Notts amongst the runs grabbing 20 for her franchise. Kathryn Bryce taking 5/29 for the away side as she bowled brilliantly in a day she also shone with the bat.
In response, Lightening got off to a flyer with Tammy Beaumont and Sophie Bryce taking the visitors to well over the hundred mark at the half way stage before Beaumont went for 51 with the side on 117/1. Bryce followed shortly after, out for 57 whilst two quick wickets for Ellis and Higham swayed the tie back in the favour of the Northern Diamonds but Kathryn Bryce hit 71 not out to give her side a fighting chance, however at the other end she wasn’t backed up well enough to get the win. Fackrell went with just under three overs to go with Lightening on 204 and Graves followed before Harman was the seventh wicket lost as Lightening eventually reached 217.
Two defeats from two now for Lightening it will now be a tough ask for them to qualify for the final with a home game next up on Saturday against Northern Diamonds at Grace Road, Leicester.
*Main image @TrentBridge Lightening have lost both their games so far.
