Charlotte Edwards Cup team of the week: Who makes our round three XI?

The Cricketer looks at the star performers from round three of the Charlotte Edwards Cup action…

Emma Lamb (Thunder)

111 not out & 3-16 v Sunrisers

There simply aren’t enough superlatives in the English language to describe Emma Lamb’s performance at Emirates Old Trafford. At the halfway mark, the allrounder had scored 24 runs from 24 balls, leaving the bulk of the run-scoring to fellow opener Georgie Boyce. In the next five overs, she added 48 runs from 17 balls and finished her innings unbeaten on 111 from 61 balls, including 11 fours and three sixes. She also picked up three wickets for just 14 runs with the ball, nearly taking a hat-trick in the 19th over, and took the catch to dismiss Mia Rogers. Simply incredible.

Georgia Adams (Southern Vipers)

50 v South East Stars

After scoring a disappointing 39 runs in her first two matches, Georgia Adams came out all guns blazing against South East Stars, scoring 50 runs from 31 balls, including eight fours, before departing in the tenth over. No doubt she would have wanted to stay in longer, but what an explosive start to her side’s innings.

Maia Bouchier (Southern Vipers)

53 not out v South East Stars

Maia Bouchier enjoyed an 89-run first-wicket partnership with captain Adams and ultimately finished the day not out on 53 after anchoring her side to a comfortable seven-wicket win over South East Stars. Bouchier’s 53 was scored off 43 balls at a strike rate of 123.25 and included seven fours. And, quite fittingly, she scored the winning runs with a four off the bowling of Bryony Smith.

^{Maia Bouchier scored an unbeaten half-century against South East Stars}

Ellie Threlkeld (Thunder)

26 not out v Sunrisers

Ellie Threlkeld will probably be the first to admit that her form with the bat in 2021 has been below her usual standards. However, she played a strong innings against Sunrisers, finishing unbeaten on 26 from 24 balls, rotating the strike nicely with Lamb and pushing her teammate to complete her century with some strong running. She also performed tidily with the gloves, taking a smart catch to remove Grace Scrivens and conceding just one bye and one leg bye in 20 overs.

Thea Brookes (Central Sparks)

21 v Lightning

Eve Jones, who took 3 for 14 and scored 27 not out, narrowly misses out on this XI purely because of the game-changing nature of Thea Brookes’ innings and the wealth of top-order performers in round three. Coming in to bat in the 15th over with her side requiring 31 runs from 32 balls, Brookes threw caution to wind. Smashing 21 runs from 14 balls, she departed in the 18th over with her side eight runs shy of victory and 14 balls remaining. Job done.

Jenny Gunn (Northern Diamonds)

27 not out & 1-23 v Western Storm

If someone were to create a player of the season prize for the women’s regional competitions – the Enid Bakewell shield, for example – Jenny Gunn would be the ideal candidate. She rolled back the years against Western Storm, picking up the wicket of Danielle Gibson before scoring 27 not out from 21 balls to steer her side to a one-wicket victory off the final ball of the match. Requiring 10 runs off the final six balls, a single from Katie Levick put Gunn on strike and the former England international did the rest – dot, two, four, two, four. The ideal allrounder.  

Alex Griffiths (Western Storm)

2-28 v Northern Diamonds

This position nearly went to Danielle Gibson, who finished with figures of 2 for 9 from her four overs. However, while Griffiths was expensive with the ball, she caused chaos for Diamonds’ top-order, removing Ami Campbell and Leah Dobson with her bowling before running out Sarah Taylor to leave Diamonds floundering on 62 for 5. Three key wickets which came within a Jenny Gunn of proving decisive for Storm.

Alex MacDonald (Northern Diamonds)

4-17 v Western Storm

Career-best T20 figures for Alex MacDonald who was Diamonds’ star bowler against Storm. Removing Fi Morris for 16 in the seventh over, she then ripped through Storm’s middle-order, dismissing Katie George, Alex Griffiths and Lauren Parfitt to reduce the home side to 76 for 7 after 13 overs.

^{Jenny Gunn once again starred for Northern Diamonds}

Georgia Davis (Central Sparks)

4-12 v Lightning

So often we talk about Emily Arlott and Issy Wong as Sparks’ star bowlers but against Lightning, Georgia Davis stepped up. Completing a middle-order demolition job, she removed Abi Freeborn, Sonia Odedra, Teresa Graves, and Lucy Higham to finish with figures of 4 for 12. She bowled 15 dot balls and no extras, and conceded only one four.

Charlotte Taylor (Southern Vipers)

3-12 v South East Stars

Every captain wants a Charlotte Taylor in their side. Week in, week out, she’s among the wickets and the players she dismisses are invariably crucial batters. Against South East Stars it was no different, with Taylor removing openers Bryony Smith and Alice Davidson-Richards for single-figure knocks inside the powerplay before adding Grace Gibbs to her collection in the 11th over. She finished with figures of 3 for 12 from her four overs, including 16 dot balls and just the one boundary.

Sophie Munro (Lightning)

20 not out & 2-10 v Central Sparks

Batting at number 11, Sophie Munro walked to the middle in the 14th over with her side 40 for 9 and put on a 41-run partnership with Shachi Pai to drag Lightning to 81 all out. She finished unbeaten on 20 from 16 deliveries. With the ball, she bowled Marie Kelly and Milly Home with consecutive balls to reduce Sparks to 5 for 2 inside the powerplay and also picked up a maiden during her three overs. Lightning’s MVP, no contest.

Photo of Emma Lamb: George Franks (@ggf_photos), with thanks