Lightning become The Blaze following move from Loughborough to Nottinghamshire

It was announced in September that the regional team would be moving away from Loughborough and cutting ties with the university

Nick Friend | 11/11/2022 at 16:52

The Nottinghamshire-based team in the women's domestic setup will be known as The Blaze following the decision to replace Loughborough University as the base for the East Midlands regional hub.

They were known as Lightning through the first three seasons after the restructuring of the regional game, a legacy of the Kia Super League side which had the same name.

However, it was announced in September – three months after players had been given the news, The Cricketer understands – that the programme would be moving away from Loughborough and cutting ties with the university. The team's future then went out to tender, with Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire the frontrunners to host a region that also includes Derbyshire and Lincolnshire as part of its patch.

"There is definitely an extra bit of excitement that comes with training, and being based at, Trent Bridge," said seamer Sophie Munro. "There is a sense of a fresh start, being somewhere new, wearing new kit and having a new name, but we've got a good bond as a group having been together for a while, and that has made the transition pretty straightforward."

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^{The move marks the end of Lightning, who had previously featured in the Kia Super League (Tony Marshall/Getty Images)}

Munro added that the players had been consulted over the rebrand, including the new name.

"We see it as our new home," said James Cutt, the region's director of cricket. "It's really beneficial for us being able to interact with the Nottinghamshire players, coaches and support staff – and hopefully the way we do things can have an impact on the men's game as well.

"We want to produce cricketers locally from across the East Midlands region and we want to attract players to come and represent The Blaze from elsewhere in the country as well. We believe that being at Trent Bridge can only help both of those facets to develop."

Lightning had a mixed on-field record during their three years' existence. In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, they finished fourth (out of four) in 2020, fourth (of eight) in 2021 and sixth (of eight) in 2022. In the Charlotte Edwards Cup, however, they won just one match in two seasons and finished bottom of their group on both occasions.