Match preview: Bears Women vs Lancashire Thunder, Vitality Blast Women – Lancashire Cricket Club

Match preview: Bears Women vs Lancashire Thunder, Vitality Blast Women
Bears v Lancashire Thunder
Vitality Blast
Sunday June 8, 2025, 12pm
Edgbaston
The superstar Australian leg-spinner has joined Thunder for the remainder of the ongoing Vitality Blast, added to a pair of appearances in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup towards the end of July – immediately before the Hundred.
King’s first priority is to perform well and win matches for the Red Rose, who are aiming to add to their early-season Vitality County T20 Cup triumph.
However, in doing that, it will also help set her up well for next summer’s T20 title bid with Australia, who are aiming to regain the World Cup crown they missed out on in Dubai last October when they were beaten semi-finalists.
King, 29, was a squad member but didn’t actually play in that event.
It’s something she will hope isn’t repeated next June and July when Emirates Old Trafford will be one of the host venues.
“Emirates Old Trafford is a nice place to bowl, and as spinners we really love bowling here,” said the Victorian, who has been playing for Trent Rockets in the Hundred for the last three years.
“But I think it’s just exposing myself to different conditions.
“There’s a lot of hybrid wickets over in the UK, which we’re not really exposed to in Australia.
“With eyes on a World Cup over here in the UK, I just want to gain as much experience and intel as I can playing these sort of competitions.
“Playing all around England as well. We travel a bit, so just to play in different conditions. I know it’s a bit slower and a bit lower with the bounce. I found that out in the nets.
“Obviously, in Australia, they come on to the bat really nicely. I’m excited to be bowling here, that’s for sure.
“Hopefully I’ve got a few more fans in the stands if I do play here in that World Cup, given I’ll have been playing a fair bit for Lancashire. Any game in a World Cup at these big stadiums is always going to be special.”

King debuted for Thunder in yesterday’s rain-affected DLS Blast loss to Surrey, by two runs. She claimed one wicket but was unable to prevent a third defeat from four at the start of the competition.
However, she and Thunder another chance today when Lancashire travel to Edgbaston to face the Bears from 12pm.
King, who arrived in Manchester at the start of the week, was also attracted to the county having previously worked with head coach Chris Read.
“I think head coach obviously was number one,” she said. “With Ready, I’ve worked with him for a couple of seasons at Trent Rockets as a batting coach. I’ve loved working with Ready. He’s a great operator, and we’re very similar in the way we think.
“I know a couple of the girls as well. Soph Ecclestone, Kate Cross, and I played with Tara Norris over in Australia when she came and played some club cricket in Melbourne.
“I’m just excited to be amongst a new group of girls.
“Hopefully I can share some experience with them but also learn off them and learn off some new coaches.
“Playing for Lancashire it’s got a really rich history and a really proud history. I’m excited to be here.”
King continued: “I try to bring a bit of energy wherever I play, so if they can feed off that it’s going to be awesome. Hopefully I’ll contribute with both bat and ball or wherever I can.
“They’ve had a great start to the season. They’ve been awesome.
“Hopefully a few more wins along the way will create some momentum.”
King has history with her new home.
In August 2022, she claimed a Hundred hat-trick for the Rockets against the Manchester Originals which included the scalps of Kate Cross and Sophie Ecclestone.
“Will I get my name up here at Old Trafford?” she asked at the time.

“That would be brilliant. Hopefully right next to Warnie. He took poles here for fun, and I’m sure he was looking down pretty happy.”
She was of course referring to the late great Shane Warne, who bowled the ball of the century to Mike Gatting at Emirates Old Trafford in the 1993 Ashes Test.
Having now linked up with Lancashire’s squad, she said: “Crossy keeps giving me a bit of stick.
“She probably gives Lancs Cricket a bit of stick for putting her wicket up on show!
“Yeah, good memories at Old Trafford.
“I haven’t played with Crossy before. So, to be around her, she’s a great girl, and I can’t wait to learn from her.”
Lancashire will face a Bears’ side who have won two of their four matches so far added to a loss and a tie.
They beat Somerset at Edgbaston on Friday, a game in which Australian batter Laura Harris hit a middle order 77 off 34 balls in 172-9. Left-arm wrist spinner Millie Taylor claimed three wickets to bowl Somerset out for 103 in reply.
They are coached by Ali Maiden and captained by off-spinner Georgia Davis.
Former Lancashire men’s seamer Kabir Ali is their bowling coach.
England Under 19s batter Davina Perrin is one to keep an eye on for the future, and not just in this game.
Perrin, 18, is closing in on 50 senior T20 career appearances.
She has been playing in the professional game since 2021, representing regional side Central Sparks.
Right-handed Perrin mixes power with invention, as she showed in the Blast last month when she crashed a career best 87 off 61 balls opening the batting in a victory over Durham at Edgbaston.
Born in Wolverhampton, she played county cricket in the old structure for Staffordshire and has also represented the Northern Superchargers in the Hundred.
This will be Fi Morris’s 250th senior career appearance across all formats, since debuting for Oxfordshire in 2008.
Morris has played 107 times in women’s List A cricket and 142 times in T20s.

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