Match times, streaming information, tickets and travel, team news, weather forecast and everything else you need to know ahead of the next round of the Charlotte Edwards Cup
Fixture: Thunder v Lightning
Venue: Chester Boughton Hall CC
Dates: Sunday, July 4, 2021
Start time: 11am
What's the lowdown?
Thunder got their Charlotte Edwards Cup campaign off to a winning start with a 12-run victory over Northern Diamonds at Headingley. Batting first, Thunder, led by Emma Lamb's half-century, posted 118 for 6 - a total which felt a tad under par against a team like Diamonds. However, after a sloppy start with the ball saw their hosts race to 31 for 0 off four overs, Thunder came back with a bang and restricted Diamonds to 106 for 9 to take the four points.
Western Storm, however, suffered the ignominy of becoming the first team to lose a competitive match to Sunrisers in any format. Storm tumbled to 51 for 5 inside 12 overs before Sophie Luff, Nat Wraith and Lauren Parfitt dragged them to a respectable 129 for 6. Unfortunately, that total proved to be undefendable, with Sunrisers, led by the dynamic duo of Mady Villiers and Grace Scrivens, chasing down 130 with 13 balls and seven wickets to spare.
Western Storm are now without a win since the opening day of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, when Anya Shrubsole starred in a thrilling final-ball victory over Thunder. Sadly, their talisman will be unavailable for Sunday's clash.
Who should I watch out for?
Lamb is dominating the headlines for Thunder at present, and rightly so! The opener was the only player to pass 50 in round one, scoring 58 runs from 43 balls, and also excelled with ball in hand, collecting 4 for 13, including the crucial wickets of Hollie Armitage and Ami Campbell. Lamb already has two T20 centuries to her name in 2021 - one in the women's County Championship, the other in a pre-season friendly against Lightning - and scored 79 off 46 balls while representing Lancashire against Ireland Women on Thursday.
Sophia Turner was the other star against Diamonds, taking 1 for 4 from her four overs, including bowling a maiden - no mean feat against former T20I world record holder Sterre Kalis. Meanwhile, against Ireland, Georgie Boyce scored 55 off 45 balls, including seven fours, which will have done her confidence the world of good.
For Western Storm, Nat Wraith impressed with the bat. The wicketkeeper, who scored just 50 runs in four Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy outings, scored a brisk 36 not out (24 balls) against Sunrisers and enjoyed solid stands with skipper Luff (31) and Parfitt (15 not out) to provide some handy middle-order resistance.
Danielle Gibson was the pick of the bowlers, dismissing Villiers and conceding 6.66 runs per over while Emily Edgcombe posted figures of 0 for 9 from her two overs. Wickets, however, have proved hard to come by for Storm in 2021, with their bowlers taking just 18 wickets in four Heyhoe Flint Trophy outings and three against Sunrisers.
What's the team news?
Coming soon.
Latest Thunder news: Click here
Latest Western Storm news: Click here
What's the weather forecast?
Keep up to date with the MetOffice’s rolling forecast for Chester: Click here
How do I follow the match?
TV/stream The game will be streamed via Lancashire CCC's YouTube channel: Click here
Radio: BBC Local Radio and the BBC Sport website will carry updates of the game.
Digital: The Cricketer will carry live scorecards and reports from every Women's Regional Competition match in 2021, as well as the latest breaking news from around the counties and exclusive features. Visit our Women's Regional Hub for more.
Going to the game?
Tickets
Tickets are £5 for adults and £1 for under-18s. Click here for Thunder's ticket office.
Travel
Address: Chester Boughton Hall CC, Filkins Lane, Chester, Cheshire West and Chester, CH3 5EL
By car: Car parking is available at the ground.
By public transport: The nearest train station to Chester Boughton Hall CC is Chester, which is around a 20 minute walk away, and the nearest bus stop, Bridge Inn, is a four-minute walk away from the ground.
Prediction?
Thunder are riding the crest of a wave after defeating Northern Diamonds in round one and look to be a strong T20 outfit. Home win.
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