All posts by n8rngtd.top

Ambati Rayudu and B Sandeep fifties help Hyderabad stage remarkable recovery against Assam

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2017A stunning onslaught from Mayank Agarwal led Karnataka‘s dominance on the first day in their Ranji Trophy game against Uttar Pradesh at Green Park in Kanpur. They raced to 327 for 3 at stumps, with Agarwal slamming 16 fours, all in the first session, in his 72-ball 90 before falling to Akshdeep Nath in the 27th over.In only his second first-class game, D Nischal struck a patient, unbeaten 90 off 221 balls to anchor Karnataka’s innings. He added a 115-run, third-wicket partnership with Karun Nair, who scored 62 off 123 balls. Manish Pandey contributed 63 runs to a 91-run stand for the fourth wicket, off just 22 overs as Uttar Pradesh were run ragged right through the day.B Sandeep and captain Ambati Rayudu helped Hyderabad recover from 32 for 4 with a 157-run stand against Assam on the first day in Guawahati. Sandeep struck 84 off 122 balls, while Rayudu hit 83 off 152 balls, but both batsmen were dismissed in quick succession, as Hyderabad finished the day at 289 for 8. Akash Bhandari chipped in with an unbeaten 43. Fast bowler Arup Das took three wickets in his first five overs, and finished with figures of 3 for 90, while left-arm spinner Rahul Singh picked up 3 for 54.

Twenty-one Pakistan players, including Saeed Ajmal and Imran Khan, found themselves in a pay dispute with the Afro T20 Cricket League organisers and decided to return home without completing the tournament

Umar Farooq21-Dec-2017Twenty-one Pakistan players, including Saeed Ajmal and Imran Khan, and commentator Aamer Sohail found themselves in a pay dispute with the Afro T20 Cricket League organisers and decided to return home without completing the tournament. The players’ return tickets were also cancelled at one point but according to Ajmal, their flights were rebooked for December 21 after talks with the Uganda Cricket Association (UCA).The Afro T20 Cricket League, featuring eight teams, is supported by the UCA and was approved by the ICC, according to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The tournament started on December 17 and was scheduled to run until January 1. However, a few days into the tournament, the organisers were not releasing payments for players. The league had reportedly set USD $50,000 for the winning team with each player having a contractual agreement. Ajmal said he got multiple verbal assurances from the organisers who later flew to Dubai with yet another promise that they were going to arrange the payments and return.”The organiser wasn’t paying us and we insisted for our payments as per the contractural agreement,” Ajmal told ESPNcricinfo. “But he deserted us with a promise that he is going to Dubai to arrange payments and will return but he hasn’t and we decided to return in protest. Our return tickets were blocked and we had informed Uganda Cricket Association and with some pressure we managed to rebook our return flight for December 21. But we are perfectly fine in Uganda, we are in touch with the Pakistan consulate as well and things are under control.”The PCB issued a press release saying the ICC had been in touch with the board about the availability of the players for the league, and things were firmed up by the PCB on that basis. The board said it is looking into the matter and will decide how to act once the facts are established, while also stating that it had been up to the players to negotiate their terms with the organisers.*”PCB received applications from players to participate in the Afro T20 League being played in Uganda. Upon inquiring of the bonafides of this League from ICC, we were advised by the ICC that Afro T20 League has been approved by them and that it is been played under the umbrella of Uganda Cricket Association (UCA). The ICC sent us a list of players which were provided to the ICC by the League organisers and asked us to allow them to take part in the tournament. Upon receiving confirmation from ICC, PCB issued NOCs to all Pakistani players who were mentioned in the approved list.”PCB is currently looking into the incident which has taken place in Uganda during the Afro T20 League and once complete information is received, further course of action will be advised.”It may be mentioned that it is the responsibility of the players to negotiate the terms of their engagement and not that of the PCB whose role is confined to the issuance of NOCs on the condition that the players are not required for PCB duty at home or abroad.”*

England head coach backs under-fire duo to come good on the tour of New Zealand, after torrid Ashes campaign

David Hopps09-Jan-2018England’s coach Trevor Bayliss has added his weight to the belief that James Vince and Mark Stoneman should have the chance to prove their Test credentials on the forthcoming tour of New Zealand.Neither Vince nor Stoneman escaped the general condemnation as England lost the Ashes series 4-0. Vince made attractive starts before falling to predictable modes of dismissal while Stoneman went from battling to embattled.Both finished with averages in the mid-20s and two half-centuries from nine innings, and who you had most faith in depended upon whether you valued style or substance.Bayliss made it clear, however, that when England announce the Test party for New Zealand on Wednesday evening (UK time) he favours them having another chance to show their worth.”Personally I think people like Stoneman and Vince probably get another couple of games to show us what they’ve got,” he said. “I think at times during this series, against probably close to the best bowling attack in the world in their home conditions, they have shown they can play a bit. At the top level it is about making big scores not fifties, twenties and thirties but they have shown enough that they should get another couple of games.”There was some irony in the suggestion that the batsman who might suffer for England’s 4-0 Ashes defeat could be Gary Ballance, England’s reserve batsman, who never got an opportunity. But England’s desire to promote at least one young batsman from the Lions squad – and they have been on show to Bayliss (not otherwise a keen student of the next generation) during their time in Australia.It was when Ballance’s name was raised that Bayliss said: “With all of those guys the decision to make is when it is time to move on. Whether there are three or four good young batters in that Lions squad. At some stage I’m sure some will get their opportunity but we have to work out exactly when the time is right to blood them and give them experience.”Mark Stoneman and James Vince take a run•Getty Images

England’s problem is that none of the Lions contingent is making an irrefutable case for selection. Keaton Jennings could get another go as a back-up opener, but much as England like the cut of his jib he has not scored heavily since he lost his Test place. Liam Livingstone, his team-mate at Lancashire, is a batsman of presence but his own county captain, Ryan McLaren was not alone last season when he observed that Livingstone was still discovering his game. Joe Clarke’s undoubted talent has also been sporadically shown at best, although he is coveted by several big-spending counties, among them Nottinghamshire where the England selector, Mick Newell, is director of cricket.As for Ben Duckett, who was all the rage a year ago, his reparation will be extensive after his naïve, not to say juvenile, beer-throwing episode in Perth caused England’s Ashes party such upheaval. Small-time misbehaviour perhaps that would have passed unnoticed in another era, but all England wannabes should remember that when influential people start discussing shots it is advisable that they are discussing the quality of your strokeplay.The manner of Vince’s dismissals have not escaped Bayliss: they have barely escaped anybody. “Yes, we have all seen it,” he said. “He has looked as comfortable as anyone in the runs he has scored here but just makes a mistake and gets out. They have been similar each time and that frustrates him more than any of us here. It’s probably a little bit technical but a lot of it is the mental side of it, knowing which balls to leave and when to attack and when not to.”As for Stoneman, Bayliss rejected suggestions that his confidence – and indeed footwork – suffered from the aftershock of being struck on the helmet by Josh Hazlewood during the third Test in Perth.”Not outwardly – it didn’t seem to affect him around the squad or practice,” Bayliss said. He preferred to put it down to the exhaustion of Test cricket at the highest level. Players like Vince and Stoneman declined whereas Alastair Cook, so much at sea for much of the series, then dredged out the little matter of 244 not out.”Both those guys in the first three games with Dawid Malan were probably our best-performing batters. Whether it was the pressure and the longevity of five Test matches pretty close to each other or whether there was a fatigue and they dropped off in the last couple of games, it being their first big five match series…”So I think they have done enough without anyone really pushing them from behind. They probably deserve another opportunity.”That would all entail few changes to a squad that has just lost 4-0. It would not be the first time England have approached a New Zealand tour with calls for experimentation, but a challenging Kiwi attack lies in wait.”Do we pick a second XI against these teams,” asked Bayliss. “Then we are copping criticism for leaving some of these other blokes out. In the end it is down to these guys to put their hand up and score runs.”If we do go down the track in New Zealand, or in the summer, of picking some new young batters, everyone at home in the UK has got to expect that the results might not be quite what we would like.”Personally, I love the Test cricket more than the white-ball cricket. I’m more of a traditionalist. But with our white-ball team we’ve actually got a group of guys who are more suited to the way the white-ball game is played, than possibly some of the players that we’ve had in Test cricket.”We’ve been looking for those last two or three or four spots and nobody’s been able to grab hold of those spots until Malan. It’s a case of searching for some of those guys to fill those last two or three spots that we need filled to compete with the best teams away from the UK.”

New Zealand battled their own nerves, and a domineering onslaught from West Indies’ Kyshona Knight, to claim a hard-earned victory in the first ODI in Lincoln

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2018
Scorecard0:43

Devine ton sets up NZ women’s one-run win

New Zealand battled their own nerves, and a domineering onslaught from West Indies’ Kyshona Knight , to claim a hard-earned, one-run victory in the first ODI in Lincoln.Sophie Devine’s century had given the hosts 278 to defend. But when offspinner Leigh Kasperek stepped up for the final over, there were only 10 runs in the bank. The action began with two nervy singles. Then came Tremayne Smartt’s dismissal which lifted New Zealand’s chances. Kyshona thrust West Indies ahead with a timely boundary. But she couldn’t haul in the remaining five runs that the visitors still needed off the final two deliveries.Until those final few moments, West Indies had been well placed, led by Stafanie Taylor’s 90 off 93 balls. She struck eight fours and a six and played a key role in two fifty-run partnerships that ushered the score to 152 for 3 in the 35th over.New Zealand hit back through 17-year old legspinner Amelia Kerr as she took a spectacular diving catch to dismiss the dangerous Deandra Dottin and bowled Britney Cooper in consecutive overs. When Taylor herself fell, West Indies were 215 for 6 in the 43rd over.Kyshona took charge of the chase subsequently as she plundered three fours and a six in her 44 off 31 balls. West Indies nudged ever closer to their target until Kerr and Kasperek conceded a combined nine runs off the 47th an 48th overs to bring the equation down to 22 off 12. A costly 11-run penultimate over from Sophie Devine, however, tipped the scales back in the visitors’ favour but not quite enough as it turned out.Earlier, West Indies’ decision to field backfired as three solid stands worth 76, 60 and 63 took New Zealand to 199 for 3 inside 35 overs. Devine was the major contributor as her third ODI century – which featured eight fours and two sixes – took New Zealand towards a comfortable position even though she was one of only two batsmen who could manage a score above 27.West Indies’ spinners Taylor (3 for 54), Afy Fletcher (3 for 55) and Hayley Matthews (2 for 68) picked up eight wickets between them. But in a game of small margins, an unbeaten tenth-wicket stand of 27 off 19 between Kasperek and Huddleston ensured New Zealand had just enough on the board.New Zealand now have a 1-0 lead in the three-match series which is part of the second cycle of the Women’s ODI championship.

As in the first innings, there were plenty of starts for the Australian batsmen in their chase of 140, but Peter Handscomb fell for another low score

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-2018Getty Images

Four second-innings wickets from Mitchell Starc were the highlight of the third day’s play in Benoni, where the Australians wrapped up victory over South Africa A by five wickets. Resuming on 55 for no loss, South Africa were bowled out for 248, leaving the visitors a target of 140 that they chased down in 29.3 overs.Each of Starc’s wickets was of a top-five batsman. His wicket of Pieter Malan, in the fourth over of the day, ended an opening partnership of 62 with Zubayr Hamza. There were two other significant partnerships in South Africa A’s innings – 60 for the fourth wicket between Khaya Zondo and Senuran Muthusamy, and 81 for the eighth between Malusi Siboto and Shaun von Berg. Seven batsmen got to 20 but only Von Berg, who smashed 52 off 43 balls, got to a half-century. This reflected a larger trend across the match – it would continue through the Australians’ chase as well – which saw 24 scores of 20 or more but only two half-centuries.Shaun Marsh top-scored in the fourth-innings pursuit of 140, scoring an unbeaten 39 to guide the Australians home. Cameron Bancroft (22) and Smith (25) also spent decent lengths of time in the middle, but Peter Handscomb failed for the second time in the match, bowled by Duanne Olivier – who picked up four wickets to go with two in the first innings – for 5.

Cricketers around the world should consider taking a leading role in adopting their own honour code under which they operate, according to Tony Irish, chief executive of FICA

Firdose Moonda26-Mar-2018Cricketers around the world should consider taking a leading role in adopting their own honour code under which they operate, according to Tony Irish, chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA). Responding to several incidents in the global game over the last few weeks, which reached a climax when Australia’s captain Steven Smith admitted to a premeditated plan to tamper with the ball during the Newlands Test, Irish said players needed to take it on themselves to act within the spirit of the game.”Players are the shop window to the game and they have a great responsibility for the game,” Irish told ESPNcricinfo. “What happened at Newlands falls way short of where that responsibility should be. Everyone wants to see hard-fought Test cricket but we are also seeing many instances in which player behaviour, and not cricket, is the focus. The seriousness of what has just happened has brought things to a head and will hopefully be the catalyst for change.

MCC condemns falling behaviour standards

The MCC, which oversees the Laws of cricket, has issued a statement calling for a “shift in attitude and culture” in the game, in the wake of latest controversy to impact on the series between South Africa and Australia, saying that standards of player behaviour had fallen to unacceptable levels.
“We welcome the swift action by the match officials, ICC and Cricket Australia in response to the admission of ball tampering by senior Australia players,” John Stephenson, MCC assistant secretary, said. “Changing the condition of the ball is prohibited under Law 41 concerning Unfair Play.
“Law 41 also places upon the captains of both sides the responsibility for ensuring that play is carried out in accordance with the spirit of the game as well as within the Laws. The behaviour of some of the players in the current South Africa/Australia series, and other incidents in recent times in the game we all cherish, has fallen well below the standard required to inspire future generations of cricket-loving families.
“The time has come for a major shift in attitude and culture of all those with responsibility for leadership within the game, to give young players the kind of role models who will uphold standards, preserve cricket and, vitally, the Spirit of Cricket for future generations.”

“The ICC code of conduct has to be consistent and effective in dealing with player behaviour and that should be a given. But perhaps it’s also time to start the conversation with players around what they feel should the fundamental principles around how the game is played. Perhaps this could lead to their own honour code, which will contribute to the promotion and protection of the unique values and traditions of cricket. This would be a proactive and collective shift led by the players.”Though the ICC has a code of conduct in place, Irish feels FICA, which represents players from nine ICC members, should also engage with the senior players from all countries to get their views on how the code is working. “This should be done in a positive way so that it contributes to solutions around player conduct,” Irish said.The ongoing South Africa-Australia series has seen seven disciplinary issues across three Tests, from ball-tampering and sledging to a shoulder brush. At the same time in Colombo, Bangladesh players were involved in arguments with the umpires over a decision they were unhappy with during a T20 against Sri Lanka and the anger then spilled off-field, where a glass door was shattered.While sanctions have been handed down in all cases, the severity of the punishments differed, causing consternation in some quarters. Kagiso Rabada was initially given three demerit points for the contact he made with Steven Smith (this was reduced to one on appeal) while the Bangladesh players only picked up a demerit point each.Irish said he hoped the players could agree among themselves what constitutes worthy behaviour and how they chose to act when representing their countries.”The ICC code of conduct requires player compliance but standards set by players themselves would hopefully make it less about what one can and can’t get away with under the code,” he said. “It becomes important to look at how players across the world can collectively and proactively take responsibility. One common standard may be a challenge but I would like to think it’s achievable. Different teams have different cultures and approaches, but they are all playing the same game with the same unique history. In my experience, most players recognise how special and unique cricket is and want to do the right thing”Asked why he thinks matters have become so heated of late, Irish was unsure but felt that intensity was good for game, as long as it is contained. “Maybe a lot of this, certainly in this series [in South Africa], is the passion and the heat of this series,” he said. “In a way, that’s positive because it shows you how much players care about Test cricket and winning these games but clearly what just happened is not acceptable.”

Kent chipped away at Glamorgan’s second innings at Sophia Gardens to close in on their second Championship win of the season

ECB Reporters Network05-May-2018
ScorecardKent chipped away at Glamorgan’s second innings at Sophia Gardens to close in on their second Championship win of the season, despite half-centuries from Shaun Marsh and Jack Murphy. After 19 wickets fell on the opening day, conditions for batting improved, with Glamorgan nine down and leading by 193 at the close.Having gained a useful lead of 80 on first innings, the visitors struck early. Darren Stevens, after his six-wicket haul in the first innings, made inroads when he trapped Nick Selman leg before with the eighth ball of the innings, but Murphy and Marsh then settled into a productive partnership for the second wicket.Marsh unfurled a series of booming cover drives, as the pair scored at over four runs an over and the Australian was in sight of his second Championship century of the season, before he was run out following a mix up with his partner. Murphy played the ball to square leg and set off for an improbable run, but when Marsh responded he was dismissed by a direct hit from Will Gidman. Marsh’s innings came from 113 balls, which included a six and ten fours.Murphy, who had carried his bat in the first innings, again played responsibly, and reached a deserved half-century, before slicing a ball to gully. Aneurin Donald did not last long, playing across a delivery from Harry Podmore, who bowled a steady spell and restricted Glamorgan’s progress.Glamorgan needed another sizeable partnership, but they were denied by some accurate bowling. Kiran Carlson and Chris Cooke put on 32, before the latter was caught low down by Adam Rouse off Stevens. Carlson was then dismissed by Gidman, the fifth seamer used by Kent, as Glamorgan led by 150.The new ball became due with six overs remaining, and Joe Denly immediate summoned his opening bowlers, Stevens and Matt Henry, who had shared the ten wickets in Glamorgan’s first innings. Henry responded by dismissing Andrew Salter, who became Rouse’s third victim and in his final over had David Lloyd taken at third slip for 46.With the first ball of the final over of the day, Podmore, who had replaced Stevens after the allrounder injured his shoulder after bowling four balls of his 18th over, dismissed Marchant de Lange leg before.At the start of play, Podmore’s unbeaten 33 had helped Kent’s last wicket pair added a further 11 runs. Timm Van der Gugten captured the final wicket, to end with career best figures of 7 for 42.

Enock Ikope is a director of Zimbabwe Cricket and the chairman of the Harare association where the suspended Rajan Nayar worked

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jun-2018Enock Ikope, a Zimbabwean cricket official, has been charged with three counts of breaching the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code. Ikope is a director of Zimbabwe Cricket and the chairman of the Harare Metropolitan Cricket Association (HMCA), the association that runs league cricket in Harare and oversees the domestic franchise Mashonaland Eagles.Ikope has been provisionally suspended from his posts with immediate effect, and has 14 days from June 11 to respond to the charges. He has been charged with breaching Article 2.4.6 of the Code (failure or refusal, without compelling justification, to cooperate with an investigation being carried out by the Anti-Corruption Unit), Article 2.4.7 (delaying an investigation being carried out by the ACU) and Article 2.4.7 (obstruction of an investigation being carried out by the ACU).This news follows on from former treasurer and marketing director of the HMCA, Rajan Nayar, being suspended from all cricketing activities for 20 years by the ICC in March, for attempting to improperly influence an international match. Nayar accepted all the charges against him.The incident had taken place in October last year when Nayar approached Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer and offered USD 30,000 to engage in corrupt activity. Cremer “immediately” reported to the approach to the ICC, which began an investigation into the matter.

England’s T20 side is in a far less developed state than their ODI outfit, but it was a chastening defeat in Bristol where they saw a strong position blown away

George Dobell in Bristol08-Jul-2018Football might be coming home, but cricket isn’t. Not for a while, anyway.After their success against a diminished Australia – defeated 6-0 across limited-overs formats – England were brought crashing down to earth by an India side that look significantly better than anyone England have played since 2015.The real worry for England is that, over the last three years, they have built their limited-overs strategy upon amassing vast scores on surfaces ideal for batting. While they have, from time to time, conceded huge totals, they have backed themselves to score more. Even if that requires a total well in excess of 350 in ODI cricket.But on the limited evidence of this series, India have the batting firepower to match – or surpass – anything England can achieve on such surfaces. And, crucially, a bowling attack with a little more bite to render any chase a more risk-filled business.Maybe on surfaces where the ball nips around laterally, the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli can be contained. But on these pitches? Where batsmen can hit through the line and the boundaries can be cleared with relative ease? They look daunting. And MS Dhoni didn’t even make it to the crease.The only way England were going to contain India here was by taking wickets. But after the ball stopped swinging after a few deliveries – David Willey struck Rohit on the pads when the first ball of the innings nipped back and then beat him outside of when the next held its line – England looked toothless in the face of the assault that confronted them. Unless Willey strikes in those first few balls, England look set for a long session in the field.Eoin Morgan reckoned England fell 25 or so short of the total they should have set. But the ease with which India knocked off the runs suggested they could have chased even that amount – and quite possibly another 20 or so on top of that – with confidence.Indeed, the margin of defeat may flatter England a little. It was only their fielding – perhaps the one area in which they are better than India – that kept them in the game. It took three outstanding catches to claim the India wickets. One of them, by Chris Jordan, was an almost impossibly good running catch at long-on to end KL Rahul’s innings. Take that out of the equation – and you can’t really plan for the miraculous – and India’s victory would have been even more thumping.The most impressive aspect of this victory in Bristol, from an Indian perspective, is that it was achieved without much assistance from their spinners. Persuaded to drop Kuldeep Yadav by a green-tinged surface and some painfully short boundaries, India instead opted to deliver 16 overs of seam. And, tellingly, they were delivered at greater pace – both Deepak Chahar and Umesh Yadav bowled quicker deliveries than anything managed by any England bowler – and greater control than England could manage.”Hardik Pandya hit a good length,” Morgan said afterwards. “And we didn’t hit it.”On this ground taking wickets is a priority. So I was chopping and changing [the bowlers] and trying to find a wicket. Trying to be as unpredictable as we could. And it didn’t work.”India stuck to banging in a hard length, until they went to yorkers towards the end. We watched them do it, after we couldn’t, and it emphasises that we need to be better at either putting somebody off their length or hitting length.”There are caveats. Most importantly, this was a T20 series. England are a better, more experienced unit in 50-over cricket. This was the first time since the World T20 in 2016 that England have even attempted to assemble their best T20 side – it is the format that has been used to rest and rotate players for higher priority cricket – and it stands to reason they will improve for greater experience and exposure.They missed a couple of decent players, too. Both Chris Woakes and Mark Wood may well have strengthened their bowling – especially at the death.England might take some encouragement from the fact they won in Cardiff, too. It shows it can be done. And it’s more than two years until the next World T20. There is time to learn. Joe Root, for example, who has hardly played T20 over the last few years and was here dropped by England for the first time since January 2014 (the Sydney Test that ended England’s miserable Ashes campaign) will react to this setback by working harder than ever. The whole of this England set-up could do well to look at the way India play – matching the aggression with the bat with the ball – and learn from it.But many of the decisive factors in this series – the variety of India’s bowling, the strength of their batting – will apply to 50-over cricket, too. The upcoming ODI series should provide an excellent gauge of England’s real standing in the format. If they can beat India in these conditions, they really can be considered favourites for the World Cup.India have shown how high the bar is in this series. Clearing it, in 20 or 50 over cricket, looks desperately tough.

Jenny Gunn and Sophie Devine wrecked Lancashire’s batting at Southport

ECB Reporters Network22-Jul-2018Loughborough Lightning 74 for 4 beat Lancashire Thunder 72 (Gunn 3-10) by six wickets

ScorecardLoughborough Lightning opened their 2018 Kia Super League campaign with a six-wicket win over Lancashire Thunder at Southport.In a low-scoring contest, a 29-run partnership between Georgia Adams and Georgia Elwiss guided the visitors to the victory over a Thunder side who were winless in the 2017 season.Jenny Gunn and Sophie Devine claimed three wickets each in an impressive Lightning bowling display, having won the toss, which restricted Thunder to 72 all out and set up the victory.With such a low target on the board, Thunder needed to start their bowling well and they did just that. After a couple of tight overs, Kate Cross, fresh from her international return against New Zealand, clean bowled Sarah Glenn for a duck in the third over.Sophie Devine struck a huge six off Emma Lamb but perished while attempting another, succeeding only in finding Cross on the boundary. That left Lightning 15 for 2.And Thunder’s tails were well and truly up in the sixth over. England international Alex Hartley, who has returned to her native Lancashire for this KSL, had Amy Jones stumped for four. At the end of the powerplay, Lightning were 25 for 3.Hartley had her second in the ninth over as Elyse Villani attempted to sweep but was trapped lbw. Lancashire’s line-up is packed with spin options and they proceeded to stall the Lightning.Just 11 runs were added in five overs, but Loughborough were guided over the line thanks Adams and Elwiss. They took nine from Danielle Hazell’s 14th over and then 15 from Lamb’s 15th – including a big six for Adams.Victory came with 4.5 overs to spare when Adams punched Sophie Ecclestone through the covers for four.Having been asked to bat first, things started badly for Thunder and steadily got worse. Devine – who notched a century for New Zealand Women against England two weeks ago – picked up two wickets in the opening over.She trapped Australia international Nicole Bolton, on her KSL debut, for a first-ball duck and also sent Georgie Boyce on her way without scoring as she was caught by Georgia Elwiss at cover.From 5-2, Lancashire needed to respond and looked well set to do so thanks to a strong start from Eve Jones who raced to 17 from just 11 balls.She put on 23 for the third wicket with Amy Satterthwaite but Gunn struck twice in her first two balls for Loughborough after joining from Yorkshire Diamonds for this season. Satterthwaite was clean bowled and Lamb clipped straight to Linsey Smith at square leg.Ellie Threlkeld kept out the hat-trick delivery but Thunder wickets kept on tumbling. Jones was the next to fall for 19 to Lucy Higham and Threlkeld joined her in the following over – a first scalp for 20-year-old Scot Kirstie Gordon on her KSL debut.By the halfway stage, Thunder found themselves 43 for 6. Gordon kept Lightning on the attack with a super delivery to bowl Ecclestone.There was a glimmer of hope provided by Thunder’s ninth-wicket pair of Cross and Natalie Brown, who shared a partnership of 26 as Brown whacked the only six of the innings in the 15th over.But two quick blows from first Gunn and then Devine, who both finished with three wickets, removed Brown and Alex Hartley to dismiss Lancashire for 72 – a total that was never going to be enough.