Thunder girls go back to school

Kerry (front left) and Helen (right) are pictured with, left to right, back: Ashleigh Cruse, Harriet Gill, Ellie Wild, Lynda Onuoha and Shannon Westwood.

IT was back to school for two members of the top Northern Thunder netball squad when they held a training session in Oldham in the build-up to the new season.

Former Hulme Grammar School pupils Kerry Almond and Helen Browne, both now members of the Thunder outfit, returned to their old school for the session, in which current Hulme netball players also took part.

Kerry (front left) and Helen (right) are pictured with, left to right, back: Ashleigh Cruse, Harriet Gill, Ellie Wild, Lynda Onuoha and Shannon Westwood.

Thunder have boosted their squad with the signing of two England internationals - Sara Bayman and Jade Clarke.

Clarke (26), from Partington, has spent the last four years playing for Loughborough Lightning but is no stranger to Oldham, having played for all-conquering Oldham Netball Club under Thunder head coach Mike Greenwood.Bayman (24) from Wigan, has played a big part in the success of the powerful TeamBath outfit in The Co-operative Netball Superleague for four years.

Said Clarke: “I am glad to get back to my roots and I am really looking forward to working with the coach that brought me through as a youngster. There is a lot of young talent in the Northern Thunder squad and, with some hard work, we can really make a push towards playoffs.”

Northern Thunder will play their first game away at the University of Bath on December 10 - the match to be shown live on Sky Sports.

The first home game is at the Castle Leisure Centre, in Bury, on December 13 against strong contenders Surrey Storm.

The squad is: Karen Greig (Goal Shooter), Krista Enziano (Goal Shooter), Vicky Phillips (Goal Attack), Charlotte Beenham (Goal Attack), Kathryn Turner (Goal Attack), Krystal Gayle (Wing Attack), Rachel Henry (Wing Attack), Jenna Astwood (Wing Attack), Helen Browne (Centre), Sara Bayman (Wing Defence/Centre), Jade Clarke (Wing Defence/Centre), Rachael Taylor (Wing Defence), Laura Malcolm (Wing Defence), Emma Dovey (Goal Defence), Kate Smith (Goal Defence), Jodie Gibson (Goal Keeper) amd Kerry Almond (Goal Keeper).