Well-travelled Lea is loving Super League life with Lancashire
LANCASHIRE Thunder and New Zealand fast bowler Lea Tahuhu says she has relished the opportunity to play in the Kia Super League and believes the competition compares favourably with other big T20 competitions around the world.
Tahuhu, labelled by Thunder team-mate Kate Cross as the fastest bowler in the world, has played more than 50 ODIs for New Zealand as well as 29 T20Is and was part of the squad that was knocked out of this summer’s Women’s World Cup.
After the Thunder’s third straight defeat of the KSL on Sunday, a 51-run loss to Loughborough Lightning at Blackpool which eliminates them from the competition, Tahuhu spoke with great affection for the Kia Super League.
“All the competitions have their different little perks and stuff,” she said.
“But this is fantastic looking out here at the amount of kids that we have got around and also the spectators that have stayed and watched.
“It’s great to sort of come to a smaller ground and area here in Blackpool rather than the big stadiums and play in front of crowds like this. So they are doing extremely well here with the KSL and it’s a joy to play in.”
Tahuhu is a bowler who has become renowned for her pace, with a 126kph delivery to her name. She made her international debut aged 21 and is an experienced player all around the world.
Now 26, the seamer started playing cricket aged eight. She has experience of playing in Australia’s premier T20 competition, The Big Bash, with Melbourne Renegades as well as previously competing in the KSL with Surrey Stars.
Tahuhu’s New Zealand side were eliminated from the group stage of the Women’s World Cup, held here in England, which the host nation went on to win.
She feels that the success of that tournament and England’s successful campaign has given a great boost to the Kia Super League and has brought a greater audience to come and watch these matches.
“We did think it would be the case that the World Cup in this country this summer would help the competition,” Tahuhu said.
“And even more so, hard as it is for me to say, it helped having England win the World Cup.”
Lancashire’s penultimate game of the campaign, their last at home, is against reigning champions Southern Vipers at Liverpool tomorrow (2.30pm).