Durham Women head to Emirates Old Trafford, looking to go four games unbeaten as they face Lancashire Thunder at 11am tomorrow.
Danielle Hazell has named a squad of 13 to head to Manchester with Grace Thompson returning to contention whilst Abi Glen drops out of the squad.
Durham are looking to follow up Friday’s bonus point win over Hampshire Hawks and continue their positive momentum in the Vitality Blast, having won three of their last five games to sit on 19 points in sixth place.
Lancashire were last in action on Wednesday as they too defeated Hampshire, winning by eight wickets as they sit fourth in the table on 25 points.
Suzie Bates is Durham’s leading run-scorer with 361 runs whilst Katie Levick and Mady Villiers have taken 10 poles each in the Blast.
Words from Emily Windsor
(On Hampshire win) I’m absolutely buzzing and that was a brilliant team performance. There was a lot of energy around the group when we went out there and the bowlers did a fantastic job and we backed it up in the field.
To get two back-to-back wins was special for us and we need to keep building from this.
It meant a lot to get out there – I’ve been out for a while and coming to a new club I wanted to go out there and score some runs for the girls because I’m a batter and that’s my job – a few hit the middle and I wanted to be there at the end to see us home.
It was only my second time in Durham colours and I was batting against my old side so there were a few nerves but I guess I used that to my advantage and it was nice to see the team home.
Squad v Lancashire Thunder (13 July)
Hollie Armitage*, Suzie Bates, Leah Dobson, Katherine Fraser, Bess Heath, Katie Levick, Emma Marlow, Mia Rogers+, Grace Thompson, Phoebe Turner, Sophia Turner, Mady Villiers, Emily Windsor
Opposition Corner
Captain: Ellie Threlkeld
Overseas player: Katie Mack (Australia, first three group matches), Alana King (Australia, from match four onwards)
Key winter moves: Lancashire were busy ahead of 2025. Eve Jones arrived and is currently one of county cricket’s in-form batters. She’s been joined by England fringe fast bowler Grace Potts and Scotland spinner Darcey Carter. Batter Katie Mack will start the Blast before being replaced by one of the competition’s standout overseas signings, her fellow Australian Alana King, the superstar leg-spinner.
The big question: Lancashire have started the summer brilliantly, winning six of eight matches in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup. Can they transfer that momentum into the Blast? If so, they will definitely be a force. They look to be well balanced, with strength across all disciplines. In the regional era, Thunder’s only knockout cricket came courtesy of a 2023 Charlotte Edwards Cup Finals Day appearance.
Wildcard watch: Left-armer Sophie Morris is another one off a Lancashire spin-bowling conveyor belt which has nurtured Sophie Ecclestone, Olivia Bell and Hannah Jones in recent times. The 21-year-old played in the regional Charlotte Edwards Cup during the last two summers and, in a 2022 Academy T20 friendly, returned an astonishing 6-0. Her maiden senior five-for came against Durham earlier this month.
Final thought: Ashes rivals, Thunder team-mates. You could well see a spin bowling partnership of Sophie Ecclestone and Alana King during this summer’s Vitality Blast. Aussie leggie King loves Emirates Old Trafford. In 2021, she took a hat-trick there whilst playing for Trent Rockets in The Hundred, a particularly proud moment given it was at the scene of her idol Shane Warne’s ball of the century to Mike Gatting in 1993.
Match Centre
The Club’s match centre will be in operation for the fixture with live scorecards, statistics & video highlights as they happen. You can watch the game live via Durham’s match centre and the match will also be available on LancsTV. Durham Cricket will have full coverage on social media, with a full match report at the close.