Mack and Morris lead Thunder to thumping win over Sunrisers
Written by I Dig SportsThunder 292 for 5 (Mack 100, Morris 89) beat Sunrisers 150 (Grewcock 38, Cross 3-21, Ecclestone 3-40) by 142 runs
With Saturday's loss fresh in the memory, Thunder would have been forgiven for having a sense of déjà vu when opener Emma Lamb fell early, mistiming a pull shot to Maddy Villiers at midwicket off Kate Coppack for 5 and things got worse when Seren Smale missed a full, straight one from Jodi Grewcock to be bowled for 21 and leave the hosts 32 for 2.
But where that defeat saw Thunder fail to recover from the loss of early wickets, here they seemed galvanised by the challenge as Mack and Morris set about a stunning rebuilding project. Full of inventiveness, skill and some excellent running between the wickets, the partnership began with the duo never allowing Sunrisers' spinners to settle into any kind of rhythm.
While Mack's knock was full of ramps, sweeps and late cuts, Morris frequently walked down the pitch to meet the spinners' deliveries with the combination of finesse and power between the two working perfectly.
Mack reached her half-century off 67 balls with Morris passing hers off 66 as the pair's partnership went beyond 100 runs and into record-breaking territory.
Eventually Morris was dismissed by the returning Coppack who trapped her lbw for 89, but the damage was done and the stand was the second-highest for any wicket by any side in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
Mack deservedly reached her century soon after with a characteristic late cut to the boundary before she was stumped off Villiers for 100 - her fourth century in List A cricket.
At the other end, Sunrisers skipper Grace Scrivens was stuck in an almighty rut and had reached just 9 off 46 balls when she skied one to bowler Hannah Jones to make it 36 for 2 which became 36 for 3 after Cordelia Griffith departed for 11 after another caught and bowled for Ecclestone.
The longed-for partnership just would not materialise for the visitors with Mady Villiers and Amara Carr falling to Morris and Ecclestone as the run rate continued to climb.
The one bright spot for Sunrisers was Grewcock who stood firm in reaching 38 as she and Florence Miller compiled 50 runs for the sixth wicket before the former was bowled by Jones and the latter edged Phobe Graham behind for 19.
Ecclestone picked up her third when Nicola Hancock was caught on the boundary by Norris for 15 and her England teammate Cross made quick work of the rest of the tail in dismissing Joanne Gardner for six and Coppack without scoring to end with 3 for 21 off 8.1 overs as Sunrisers failed to score a run off the bat off the last 30 balls of the innings.