ELIZABETH BOTCHERBY: In 2021, Manchester Originals failed to win a single match when batting first but produced a well-constructed innings against Welsh Fire, spear-headed by Deandra Dottin, Emma Lamb and Sophie Ecclestone, to break their duck
Batting was a problem area for Manchester Originals in 2021.
South African opener Lizelle Lee scored her side's sole half-century while Harmanpreet Kaur and Emma Lamb were the only other players to pass 40 in an innings.
Firepower was also an issue, with Lee, Lamb and Sophie Ecclestone the only players to contribute 50-plus runs and achieve a strike rate in excess of 120, the latter topping the charts with 145.09.
However, the majority of their issues came when batting first. At The Oval in the tournament opener, against Welsh Fire at Sophia Gardens, and on home soil against London Spirit, Kate Cross' Originals lost all three matches, failing to defend 135, 120 and 127. They won the toss in London and Manchester. By contrast, they won three matches out of four when chasing.
Their batting woes came back to haunt them in their opening match of 2022. After restricting Trent Rockets to 119 for 5, Manchester were skittled for 76 – Lee, one of only three players to reach double figures, top-scoring with 17 (13). An ominous sign given chasing is their strength.
Deandra Dottin was impressive for Manchester Originals [Stu Forster/Getty Images]
But three days later against Welsh Fire at Emirates Old Trafford, the batters finally clicked.
The innings got off to a poor start, Lee falling for 3 (7) inside the powerplay after being caught by Claire Nicholas off Alex Hartley. She'd been handed a lifeline off the previous delivery, surviving an lbw appeal on umpire's call, but failed to capitalise. However, her early bath aside, it was a well-constructed innings from the Originals.
Lamb made a bright start and while her runs dried up as the game progressed, her knock of 35 off 41 anchored the innings well and prevented a collapse.
Deandra Dottin started slowly, labouring to 13 off 11 at the halfway stage – Manchester 60 for 1 – before bursting into life with a six off the 52nd ball of the innings. Yes, it was a touch fortuitous, Fi Morris parrying the ball onto the boundary cushion, but it was the only chance she needed.
The West Indian, who fell for a two-ball duck on her Originals debut, used her impressive bat speed to bludgeon 10 boundaries (eight fours, two sixes), including a spell of five boundaries in 11 balls either side of Lamb's departure and three in the final 10 deliveries of the innings.
Her partnership with Lamb added 68 runs (48 balls) to Manchester's total, 42 of which came from 24 deliveries faced by Dottin.
She scored a further 25 runs (13 balls) to finish unbeaten on 67 (37) but it was Ecclestone who stole the show at the death, blasting 36 runs off 18 balls to further her reputation as a genuine allrounder.
An anchor, a power-hitter and a finisher all coming together to power Manchester Originals to 156 for 2 – the third-highest total of the 2022 women's Hundred and fourth-highest across both seasons.
Emma Lamb anchored Manchester Originals [Stu Forster/Getty Images]
Of course, in typical Manchester Originals fashion, the second innings was a heart in mouth affair with dropped catches, some bowling nerves and an electric 110-run opening stand between Hayley Matthews and Tammy Beaumont threatening to rain on the home side's parade before timely interventions from Ecclestone and Dottin (who else?) and solid death bowling from Lamb secured the two points.
Unfortunately for Manchester Originals fans, this performance gives little indication of how they will fare against Southern Brave on Thursday.
Rather like women's regional side Thunder – for whom six of their starting XI ply their domestic trade, they have a lot in common with Eric Morecambe's piano playing: all the rights notes but not necessarily in the right order.
In cricketing terms, they have all of the right components - batting depth, quality internationals in Lee, Dottin and Amy Satterthwaite, and the world's No.1 white-ball spinner in Ecclestone - but can't seem to get them to gel.
Against Trent Rockets in their opening match, their bowlers performed but the batters couldn't back them up. On this occasion – and arguably for the first time in The Hundred - their batters delivered the goods but nearly saw their efforts undone by the ball.
But if they can combine the two performances, it could be a promising season for the Originals.
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