Lancashire women to make history

ECB and Sky Sports have confirmed the fixtures for the second season of the Kia Super League and Lancashire Thunder open with a mouth-watering trip to Headingley to face the Yorkshire Diamonds on Friday,August 1 in a game that precedes the NatWest T20 Blast clash as Lancashire Lightning take on Yorkshire Vikings.

Lancashire Thunder then return to Old Trafford under the Sky cameras on August 16 when they host Surrey Stars as part of a double header of action that also sees the Lightning take on the Worcestershire Rapids in the NatWest T20 Blast.

Blackpool CC will again host Kia Super League action when Loughborough Lightning visit on Sunday, August 20 before Lancashire Thunder make their debut at another historic county venue with Liverpool CC hosting the match against defending champions Southern Vipers on August 23.

Thunder complete their campaign with a trip to The Brightside Ground, Bristol, when they face last year’s runners up Western Storm on Saturday,August 26 with the teams vying for a place at finals day on Friday, September 1.

, Chief Executive at Lancashire Daniel Gidney said “The Kia Super League was deemed a huge success last year and I’m very proud that Lancashire Thunder were at the heart of it.

“Lancashire Thunder is a very important part of what we’re striving to achieve at the club and it is great to see young players like Emma Lamb and Sophie Ecclestone achieving England recognition over the last six months.

“We’re very excited to see how the competition progresses this year and it is fantastic that Lancashire Thunder will be playing in the first ever domestic women’s fixture that will be televised on Sky Sports, just hours before one of Lancashire Lightning’s biggest games of the season against Yorkshire Vikings.”

General Manager of Lancashire Thunder, Bobby Cross added, “This is another important step in the right direction for women’s cricket in this country. The competition was without doubt a success last year and the addition of live broadcasts through Sky Sports and BBC Radio will help grow the game to new audiences.

“We are currently in the process of finalising our squad ahead of the 2017 Kia Super League where we’re looking forward to announcing our new overseas signings in due course.”

ECB Director of England Women’s Cricket, Clare Connor, commented, “At the end of last summer I said that I was immensely proud of what the Kia Super League had achieved during its first season, but equally I stressed that there was still considerable growth potential for the competition.

“Moving into year two I am therefore delighted to announce the next historic moment in the development of the domestic women’s game in this country, with six Kia Super League group stage matches plus finals day due to be televised live on Sky Sports, alongside enhanced levels of broadcast coverage throughout the competition on BBC Radio.”