Alex Hartley steps down as Thunder skipper

Left-arm orthodox bowler Alex Hartley has stepped down as the skipper of Thunder Cricket ahead of the start of the new season. Having picked up 23 wickets across 19 matches and captained Thunder for the first two years of regional cricket, Hartley decided to step down.



She made the announcement via Twitter as she put out a tweet expressing her joy which came with the honour of leading Thunder Cricket and Lancashire Cricket over the past few seasons. She described her decision to step down as the captain of the unit as timely and appropriate. Hartley expressed her desire to help the side develop and flourish in different ways.



 

It’s been an absolute privilege to captain @NW_Thunder + @lancscricket over the past few seasons but now it’s the right time for me to take a step back and help this team grow in other ways.

Looking forward to the season ahead 🌹 💥 #ThunderisComing https://t.co/nMM04T2Wlm



— Alexandra Hartley (@AlexHartley93) April 14, 2022

Although she delivered plenty of stupendous performances during her tenure as skipper, her best and the one that she most probably will cherish forever was her four-wicket haul that came against Lightning in a winning cause at Liverpool during the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020 edition in September.



“I am so proud to have captained Thunder over the last couple of seasons and the decision to step down as captain has been a difficult one to make. However, I feel that now is the right time for me to step back and allow somebody else to take up the opportunity,” said Hartley.



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“I am looking forward to re-joining the ranks and helping Thunder to achieve all of our goals this summer. It’s been a privilege to captain this team but now it’s time for me to enjoy my cricket and help the team in other ways moving forward,” added Hartley.



Hartley was a part of the English squad that won the World Cup back in 2017 on home soil. She also hosts a podcast named 'No Balls' with fellow Thunder team mate and England player Kate Cross.



Thunder will be soon seen in action as the Charlotte Edwards Cup begins next month in May. They'll start their campaign with a game against Southern Vipers at the 1^st Central County Ground on Saturday 14 May.