Heap shines as Thunder beat Sunrisers

Liberty Heap top-scored on the day with a 49-ball 46 to tee up victory for Thunder

Liberty Heap starred with the bat as Thunder eased to a seven-wicket win over Sunrisers in the Charlotte Edwards Cup at Emirates Old Trafford.

And although Fi Morris departed soon after Lamb's exit, Heap got her side to within touching distance and Deandra Dottin's destructive 26 secured a first win in three attempts this season.

Both sides were without a victory in their first two games.

But Thunder showed no signs of a lack of confidence as they dominated from the outset, despite having failed to win any of the seven 50-over and T20 matches they had played so far in 2023.

England trio Kate Cross (2-20), Lamb (2-24) and Sophie Ecclestone (1-14) laid the foundations as they all impressed to restrict Sunrisers to 116-8 from their 20 overs.

Cross set the tone, dismissing South Africa legend Dane van Niekerk for nought with the second ball of the innings, a stunning away-swinger that crashed into off stump.

Cordelia Griffith played positively for 36 off 35 balls but wickets fell steadily after she departed at 64-3 and a score of 116 never looked enough - especially after Heap and Lamb's fine opening stand.

Heap carried on to reach a career-best T20 score after Lamb had been trapped lbw sweeping at captain Kelly Castle's off-spin, which left Thunder 64-1 in the 10th over.

But although Morris soon followed and Heap was bowled by Eva Gray just shy of 50 with only 10 to win, the unbeaten Dottin crashed two big straight sixes in her cameo to get Thunder over the line with 21 balls remaining.

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Thunder were without England spinner Alex Hartley, who this week announced that she is taking an indefinite break from playing for mental health reasons.

Hartley, 29, played in the club's previous fixture, the defeat against Western Storm on 21 May, but said she does not feel like her normal "bubbly character" and had been "struggling mentally" for several months.