Women's Blast 4 - Old Trafford Friday Thunder
By Grockle
May 29 2026
Up to Lancashire for the 4th game of the Blast season having only dropped 1 point from the first 3 games. Sophie Luff and the sqad will be hoping for more success in a difficult game against the established 'Thunder'. Somerset have won the toss and not suprisingly they have chosen to bat first.
Women's Blast Game 4 v Lancashire @ Old Trafford Friday 29 May 2026
Somerset arrive in Manchester unbeaten in T20 in 2026. They win the toss and will bat first. The side is;
Odgers, Luff (c), Learoyd, Holland, Griffiths, Jones (wk), Skelton, Hazell, Harris, Barnes, Vukusic
So they have made no changes and will go with those who have mostly got them here up until now. It's a 50:50 seam spin setup and we thought they might go for another seamer but it would have been difficult to decide who to leave out if that had been the case.
Bex Odgers and Sophie Luff walk out to start the innings against Cross and Potts. They take 24 off the first three as the first 2 prompted spin from Hannah Jones. Grace Johnson takes the fourth as both bats move into double figures as Luff joins her partner. It's 33 at the start of Jones' second and a boundary from Odgers is a kind of 'false dawn' as she is out LBW going for a second sweep in the over. At 37 for 1 she goes for 23 from 15.
Learoyd is in before the 'Powerplay' ends but she does not stay long as she is bowled by Jones after adding 1 to the score 39 for 2 after 5. In comes Niamh Holland and she works with her skipper to move to 45 for 2 after the 'Powerplay'.
The youngest Lancashire debutant in the professional era is brought on for the 7th over as Venus Weerappull the young leg spinner bowls to Luff. Her first ball is swept for four. This takes the visitors over 50 to 52 for 2 and that is all she wrote as the youngster dismisses Holland who sweeps high and is caught by Morris in the deep for 2 from her 8. 52 for 3 and in comes Katie Jones with a bity of a job to do.
She works with her partner to move the score on and help Luff set up the second half of this innings. By the 10th over Sophie has moved to 38 from the 28 she has faced and Jones has 8 from 6 at 74 for 3
Johnson starts the second half and goes for a straight four off the first. Luff tries it again going out after a wide one but she misses it at 78 for 4 and is stumped by Threlkeld for 42 from 30. In comes Alex Griffiths
She doesn't really have time to set herself before she finds herself with a new partner as Katie Jones is caught and bowled by Morris in the next over after a drop by Potts the ball before gave her a four. She daprts for 16 from 8 at 88 for 4 and Jess Hazell joins Alex to finish the 12th over at 90 for 5. They need to push this one on to a defendable total.
However, Morris and Weerappull hold the line and the new pair only manage to add 9 by the end of the 14th. The 100 comes off the first ball of Potts in the 15th with Hazell on 3 and Griffiths on 8 but the boundary shots have dried up. Alex is aware of this and looks to go big off Potts. She doesn't get all of it but is dropped on the boundary by Morris. it was pretty regular to be honest with Griffiths on 10 at 104 for 3. With 15 gone to 105 but the rate has dried up considerably.
Venus bowls her last and she finishes with a very creditable 1 for 29. They've moved to 114 for 6 at the start of the 17th as Hannah Jones returned and she gets the next breakthrough as she has Griffiths LBW for 14 off 17 as she tries to reverse sweep the Lancashire bowler bringing Chloe Skelton to the crease. Jones ends with 3 for 20 and with 2 left we have 120 with Hazell on 10 (but from 21) and Skelton with 4 from 3. They need to push on against Potts.
In the 19th it is only singles for the first 4 balls and the 5th is a very low bouncing dot. The last is only a single as well and 125 is simply not enough unfortunately with 6 balls to go. It does seem to be a surface that will not make scoring easy but 125 is not going to be all that taxing.
Cross takes the last and it is singles again through the first half of the over. Where they would have been hoping for something up in the 140's, they will struggle to pass 130. Deep hiting is going to fielders all the time and big hits are just getting ne run time and time again. Hazell does get a four with a thick inside edge which takes them to 133 and a proper back to back boundary finishes the innings on 137. Jess finishes on 23 from 29 while Chloe added 8 from 7. Still don't think it is enough against some very good tight home side bowling.
The Reply
Meg Lanning and Eve Jones are out after a sort break to face the initial bowling of Alex Griffiths and the Olivia Barnes. No initial early wickets as they move to 22 taking 16 off Liv. With the ever dangerous Lanning leading the way.
Erin Vukusic takes the third and is already employing her very deceptive slower ball in her first over to try and hold the Lancastrian opening pair. But they have 32 after the first 3. Jones drives confidently and after succeeding with the first she is almost dismissed by an excellent diving attempt from Vukusic but she can't keep it in hand after doing all the hard work. Lanning then adds more pain by hitting the next for four.
The Home batting pair are moving at 11.25 an over when they need only about 6 as Skelton comes in for the 5th to try and put some control on this game. Jones takes the first to the boundary to bring the 50 close. She is nearly C&B on the next ball but she stays in control and scores four off the next. Lancs move to 53 with Jones on 25 from 12 while Lanning has 27 from 15. They finish the over on 54 without loss with an over left in the 'Powerplay'.
Vukusic changes to the Anderson End to look to make something happen.. But it's more of the same as Jones carves the first to the boundary rope. Erin nearly gets Jones but a very difficult catch is dropped by Skelton on a slog sweep. Another let off with 8 off the over and 62 off the 'Powerplay'. There is liuck in this but you have to take what you can or you run out of room. Lancashire have a game to lose here unless something very definitely changes.
Holland is introduced to the attack for the 7th and Meg Lanning says 'Thank you very much' and takes to her with consecutive fours in the middle of the over. She goes for 12. Lancs need 64 from 78 balls. It's a walk in the park I'm afraid.
Lola Harris is the next 'cab in the rank' and although she exerts some control there is still a boundary which means she goes for 8. The RRR has dropped below 5 as the home side have een scoring at double the RRR for most of the time. Barnes moves to the Statham End for a second attempt after a fiery introduction at the start of the game where she went for 16. A more controlled over goes for 7 with a final Lanning boundary. The RRR of 10 is maintained by this opening pair.
Chloe takes the game to the theoretical 'halfway point' but as Lanning brings up 50 from 30 at 91 for 0, it is highly unlikely they will still be out there in 10 overs time. The RRR has decreased but only to 9.5 and they need 43 from 60 so we should be done within 5 overs if nothing changes.
Another difficult chance drops in front of a fielder - the third in the game though each would have been a stupendous catch if any had been taken. However, there is a breakthrough as Erin bowls Jones for 43 from 31 at 98 for 1 a good ball going across her. Danni Collins comes out and is decieved by her slow ball and she chips the ball straight to Liv Barnes who gratefully receives it. Grace Johnson is in for the hat-trick ball who defends the last ball. You can't ask for more than that, take two wickets and keep them under 100.
That 100 arrives 3 balls into the next Harris over, she does tighten the noose a little, but another half chance moves away from the fielder who can't grasp hold of it. It does not seem to be Somerset's day in the field. Barnes continues with the 13th but an awful piece of fielding in the deep which results in a boundary does not make the position any better. When the luck is not with you then you don't help yourself if you lose focus.
Vukusic bowls out with the 15th as Lancashire move into the 120s. At the end of the over the home side need only 8 but Erin takes a third wicket as she dismisses Johnson for 16 LBW to finish with 3 for 30. 130 for 3 with captain Threlkeld at the crease though Lanning will be facing Niamh for the 16th on 68 from 46. She hits the first for six, takes a single off the next and the skipper then wins the game with a single to win by 7 wickets.
It is pretty certain who will win when Lanning makes 75 from 48 and you are defending less than 150. Just not enough runs or tight enough in the field. The undefeated run ends and there are some lessons to learn about how we lost this one but the overall progress is still very positive indeed so we'll learn and move on.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026:06:02:10:28:29 by Grockle.
They take on Meg Lanning and the Lancs Ladies today in Manchester and the squad that has succeeded so far hasn't really changed for this game;
Odgers, Luff, Learoyd, Davis, Hazell, Jones, Holland, Griffiths, Skelton, Harris, Vukusic, Barnes, Anderson
This side might be a little lacking on seam attack while their spin bowlers are out playing expectations, Anderson may see a game because of that but I'm not sure who would be replaced by her. We shall see this afternoon.
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