Emma Lamb chops Thunder to thrilling win

The overnight rain that continued into the morning and delayed the start of the game by an hour. Lancashire Thunder who has been waiting nearly two years for a win in the Kia Super League recorded their second win in the space of three days.
With a green pitch, Southern Vipers won the toss and chose to bat. It looked a good choice as they had a fit again Katie George at their disposal. Although it would be Tash Farrant with a hat-trick that would be the pick of the Vipers attack.
It was not before Lancashire Thunder had made their way to 123 for 2 from 17.3 overs. Eve Jones top scored with 69 batting through some difficult overs as she saw the wickets of Nichole Bolton and Amy Satterthwaite fall at the other end.
Like Friday, Amy Satterthwaite was able to build a partnership of some note as along with Jones they added 64 for the third wicket. Satterthwaite the fell to the experienced Aaron Brindle when on 20.
With Lancashire Thunder looking for quick runs at the back end of the innings they targeted Farrant but to ill effect. Farrant had the last laugh with a hattrick. Jones was the first to go looking for the boundary before Sophie Ecclestone and Emma Lamb followed her form the next two balls.
It took two fours from the last three balls to take Lancashire Thunder to 137 for 6. With Danni Wyatt and Suzie Bates opening the batting for Southern Vipers it was starting to look as if those cluster of wickets would come to haunt Lancashire Thunder. They are made of sterner stuff this year and never gave up.
Wyatt was smoking the ball to the boundary with regularity. There were 7 in her innings of 39 from 29 balls before she was given out lbw to Danielle Hazell the Lancashire Thunder captain.
At the other end Suzie Bates was rotating the strike and with her still, at the crease, it looked like Southern Vipers game. Tammy Beaumont was replaced during the second innings by Paige Scholfield from what must have been a concussion. Sophie Ecclestone who is making a name at international level for being a cool customer was at it again as she removed Bates for a 36 ball 40.
It proved to be the breakthrough that Lancashire Thunder needed as with four overs to go Southern Vipers needed 34 runs to win. Lamb who was out first ball took her revenge as she took four of the last five Vipers wickets to finish with figures of 4 for 17.
Had Beaumont been able to bat it may have been a different story. Had the fixture list been in the same format Southern Vipers would have been in trouble of not qualifying for finals day. As it is they will be able to pick themselves up and go again knowing they have seven more games to make an impact.
Lancashire Thunder will for the first time in the history of the competition that they have a great chance of causing more shocks in the remaining fixtures, and if the last two performances are anything to go by that is not out of the question.