Orla inspires Storm to victory on debut
Orla Prendergast scored a magnificent century on debut to propel Western Storm to a convincing six-wicket Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy victory over Thunder at Sophia Gardens.
Having joined the staff only 48 hours previously, the Irish international made the best possible first impression, posting a career-best 115 and sharing in a mammoth third wicket stand of 186 with Fran Wilson, who finished unbeaten on 74 from 100 balls. Prendergast’s superb innings comprised 115 balls and included 11 fours and a six as Storm chased down a victory target of 215 with 51 balls to spare. The pick of Thunder’s bowlers, Mahika Gaur claimed 3-39 from her allotted overs.
Opener Emma Lamb top-scored with 74 and Deandra Dottin contributed a hard-hitting 41 after Thunder had won the toss and elected to bat. But Storm’s bowlers stuck to their task, Chloe Skelton accounting for Lamb and Dottin in an incisive return of 3-36, while Dani Gibson took 2-13 and Lauren Filer 2-54. Thunder’s middle and lower order came up short and they were bowled out for an inadequate 214 in 44.4 overs.
Defeated by reigning champions Northern Diamonds at Headingley in their opening fixture, Storm summoned the perfect response, but Thunder are still seeking their first win after suffering back-to-back losses.
Eager to stake a claim for a place in the England team for this summer’s upcoming Ashes series against Australia, Thunder opener Lamb was determined to make a good impression at a venue in which she posted a notable half century in a T20 match against Storm two seasons ago. But the early going was predictably tough against the new ball pair of Gibson and Filer, who made the England international play and miss on several occasions.Fellow opener Naomi Dattani never looked comfortable and was beaten by movement off the seam, caught at the wicket off Gibson, while former Storm player Fi Morris was comprehensively bowled by a superbly-executed in-swinging yorker from Filer as Thunder slipped to 19-2 inside six overs.
Unfazed by what was happening at the other end, the meticulous Lamb continued to cut and drive with confidence, collecting seven boundaries on her way to a chanceless 50 from 59 balls. She was afforded valuable support from her captain, Eleanor Threlkeld happily playing second fiddle in an innings of 27 which helped steady the ship. These two added 72 in 13.5 overs for the third wicket to put the visitors in credit, and Storm breathed a collective sigh of relief when Threlkeld inadvertently fluffed her lines, caught and bowled by slow left armer Sophia Smale in the act of driving.
Any respite afforded the home team proved short-lived as former West Indies international Dottin picked up the cudgels in progressive partnership with Lamb, the fourth wicket pair staging a quickfire alliance of 69 in 61 balls, in the process putting a young Storm side under intense pressure.
Dottin seized the initiative when harvesting a quartet of boundaries in one over from Filer, this a prelude to launching off spinner Claire Nicholas over long-on for the first maximum of the innings and then cover driving the Wales international for four later in the same over. Desperate to effect a breakthrough and stem the flow of runs, skipper Gibson called upon Skelton’s off breaks with immediate results. The 22-year-old Gloucestershire bowler struck twice in the space of nine deliveries to claim the key wickets of Lamb and Dottin and altogether alter the complexion of the game.
Lamb had plundered 74 from 85 balls with 8 fours and no doubt had three figures in her sights when she miss-timed a pull shot straight to Fran Wilson at deep mid-wicket, while the aggressive Dottin, having raised 41 from 40 balls and struck 7 fours and a six, holed out to Gibson at deep long-on. Sitting pretty at 160-3 in the 29th over, Thunder went into freefall thereafter, their last seven wickets falling inside 14 overs for the addition of just 54 runs.
Encouraged by their double breakthrough, resilient Storm turned the screw, Filer accounting for Liberty Heap and Nat Wraith adroitly stumping Tara Norris off the bowling of the excellent Gibson. Thunder were by now dependent upon Danielle Collins, but she was bowled by Skelton for 23, after which Alex Griffiths knocked back Gaur’s off stump and then completed a run out to dismiss Alex Hartley and terminate the innings with 5.2 overs unused.
Defending a modest total, Thunder required the reassurance of early wickets. Sure enough, Gaur obliged in a new-ball burst of 2-8 in five overs, the tall left arm seamer pinning Griffiths lbw for one and then persuading Emma Corney to edge behind for two as Storm stuttered to 11-2, their new-look opening partnership failing to fire for a second successive match.
Having only recently arrived from Ireland and still getting to know her new team-mates, Prendergast found herself between a rock and a hard place, charged with the task of rebuilding under extreme pressure in unfamiliar surroundings. She could not have wished for a better partner than Wilson, the former England international bringing all of her vast experience to bear on a tricky situation.
Especially impressive in the circumstances, Prendergast played an innings full of calculated risk, punishing anything short of a length to score ostensibly in boundaries while the fielding restrictions were in place and then demonstrating a willingness to take the aerial route when confronted by spin. Warming to her task, the 20-year-old went to 50 in the grand manner, hoisting Morris over square leg for six, attaining that landmark via 49 balls with 7 fours.
Prepared to play a supporting role and aware of the additional responsibility placed upon her by the injury-enforced absence of Sophie Luff, Wilson batted with a degree of caution, compiling steadily rather than succumbing to any urge to take unwarranted risks. Her 50 comprised 71 balls and included a modest 2 fours, at which point the unbroken third wicket stand was already worth 144. Thunder skipper Threlkeld tried a final roll of the dice, recalling Gaur, but the young Emirates bowler was not nearly as effective with a soft ball, and Prendergast and Wilson began to relax as the required rate dropped to below four an over.
Nevertheless, Prendergast maintained her concentration and poise to register three figures for the first time in senior women’s cricket, turning Hartley down to deep fine leg and running three to bring home supporters to their feet in appreciation. Her second 50 spanned 49 balls in an even-paced innings. By the time she was out, bowled by Dattani in the 38th over, Storm were almost home and dry.
After the victory, Western Storm skipper, Dani Gibson said: “My first game as captain could hardly have gone any better. The girls gave me fantastic support and made it easy for me. I think the game was won and lost when we restricted them to 214. Emma Lamb and Deandra Dottin were going really well, but we never felt that they were getting away from us and nobody panicked. Chloe Skelton got them both out and then it was a different game. We felt we could squeeze them and it was a very disciplined performance in the field.
“Orla Prendergast then showed why we’ve signed her. She only flew in the night before, so for her to put together an innings like that was impressive. In Fran Wilson, she had the perfect person to bat with. Fran is so experienced and so calm and she would have been telling Orla to stay there and see the job through. After losing to Diamonds the way we did, to come back and post a performance like this is very pleasing. It will give us confidence going into the next game.”
