Blaze batter Kirk agrees loan switch and Notts seconds slip to defeat
The Blaze batter Michaela Kirk has agreed a loan deal with Northamptonshire, and will feature for the tier two side in April and May with an option to extend beyond this initial period.
The 25-year-old has made 16 appearances for The Blaze over the past two summers, including in last June's Charlotte Edwards Cup final victory, having previously spent two years with Lightning.
Kirk will be dual-registered with Northants and The Blaze throughout the duration of the loan; she will be available for selection with the Steelbacks from this Sunday’s Metro Bank One Day Cup season-opener against Leicestershire, and will remain eligible to play tier-one cricket with The Blaze.
"With the strength in depth we currently have at our disposal in our first team squad, this is a great opportunity for Michaela to enjoy a consistent run of competitive cricket, where selection allows, which will only help her continued development as a player," said The Blaze’s Director of Cricket James Cutt.
"It's also our first opportunity to utilise the new three-tier system for the women's game – something we’re all hoping will benefit everyone going forward.
"Michaela will remain largely based with The Blaze and eligible for selection for during this loan. We're sure she'll be a huge asset to Northants, and the game-time she will benefit from at Wantage Road will leave her in the best possible shape to contribute for us when called upon."
Meanwhile, Centuries from Ben Martindale and Sam Seecharan were unable to prevent Nottinghamshire 2nd XI from falling to a four-wicket defeat away to Hampshire.
Having resumed on 155 without loss, with both Martindale and Seecharan unbeaten in the seventies, the second-string Green and Golds moved to 245 as both reached their centuries.
However, despite a further 67 from Sammy King and captain Matt Montgomery’s 44, leg-spinner Zack Basey’s return of 4/123 saw the visitors eventually bowled out for 452.
Dane Schadendorf also contributed a swift 39, while Travis Holland struck three sixes in his unbeaten 21-ball 26, but Basey, in tandem with Dominic Kelly and Felix Organ, brought about the end of the innings.
That left the hosts with exactly 200 to chase for victory in the approximately two hours of play that remained, a feat they achieved late on in spite of Liam Patterson-White’s three wickets.
Kamran Dhariwal hit a 51-ball 69 to counteract Patterson-White, who took eight in the match to go with his first-innings century, before Eddie Jack’s six gave Hampshire victory.