1. Skip to Content
  2. Skip to Site Navigation
  3. Skip to Page Navigation
  4. Skip to Useful Links

Storm v Lightning preview

27 January 2012

stormvlboro2012
Storm look to get off to a good start at home as they take on Loughborough Lightning.

Date, time and coverage

Saturday 28 January 2012, 7.00pm, Live text updates on twitter via @surreystorm courtesy of our guest competition winner @NatalieKitcher

Form Guide

Storm go into tomorrow’s match after a fantastic 47-62 opening win against last year’s Superleague champions Hertfordshire Mavericks last week. The win went some way to avenging last year’s Grand Final defeat to Mavericks and set Storm up as they mean to go on.

Loughborough Lightning meanwhile got off to their own good start with a 49-44 home win versus Team Northumbria. After missing out on the playoffs last year, Lightning will be looking to make the most of the new Superleague format and an increased chance of making the final stages of the competition this time round.

Head to Head

Storm have got an impressive undefeated record over Loughborough Lightning since joining the Superleague in 2009. Last season saw Storm take full points of Loughborough Lightning with a 46 – 56 away victory before a 58 -52 return win at Surrey Sports Park.

Ins and Outs

Saturday’s match will see an early return to Surrey Sports Park for ex-Storm WA/C Lucy Adams, after she returned to Loughborough for her studies after a placement year and short-term spell at Storm last year.

Lightning are coached by Loughborough legend Olivia Murphy, who through 2006-2008 lead a strong Lightning side to the playoffs, only to miss out on a Grand Final place.

New player-coach Tamsin Greenway was pleased with how her side performed in front of the Sky cameras last week, but insisted there was plenty more to work on, and looked forward to the two training sessions this week ahead of Saturday’s clash.

Missing for Storm are Lucy Convey, Gemma Cosentino and Rhianne McHale. Stef Bello is in the squad although still recovering from a bruised rib whilst Kat Ainsworth is back after a broken finger. Fran Plom is called up for her first game of the season.

Commenting ahead of the match, Tamsin Greenway said, “ We’ll be looking for a clinical performance on Saturday and we’ll hopefully be able to try a few combinations on court. It will be great to be back in front of our home fans, and the girls are really looking forward to it.”

The match is the first home Storm Superleague match of the season with a sell-out crowd expected at Surrey Sport Park.