Manchester Thunder II

Manchester Thunder 2 is part of a family of four teams currently playing in the Manchester Softball League (Thunder are the defending Division 1 champions, Thunder 3 holds it down in Division 3, and Thunder 4 is back for more in D4). The club’s teams often practice together and play weekend tournaments in Manchester and further afield. With four teams, the club is proud to be able to give anyone the chance to experience Manchester league play at an appropriate level, as well as offering the chance for progression into the higher divisions while staying within the club. The club arranges frequent social events throughout the year too.

The current Thunder 2 began life as the fifth team in Club Thunder in 2015, then named Drizzle as an appropriate nod to the Mancunian weather (it was formed as a regeneration of the original 2010 Drizzle team, which brought many long-term club members to softball for the first time). By the time the club made the decision to use the Thunder name for every team in 2019, Drizzle had become the club’s second-highest placed team in the Manchester Softball League, and won Division 3 that year with a perfect 15-0 record.

Since the 2020 season was cancelled due to the Covid Pandemic, Thunder 2 has spent four seasons in the very competitive Division 2, winning the league with a record-equaling three ties in 2024 (11-3-3). It will compete in Division 1 for the first time in 2025.

2024 season review

The 2024 Division 2 champions started their campaign in a style that would become their signature throughout the season, outscoring Titans 11-5 in the final two innings to snatch a 20-20 tie. Another tight game against Mavericks II followed the next week, with Thunder allowing four runs at the top of the 7th to tie things up before making the three outs and grinding out a winning walk-off. Scoring half of their runs in the top of the 6th inning made the four-run victory over Speeders three weeks later the first in a series of relatively comfortable victories, somehow extending the streak in the return Mavs II fixture despite deservedly falling 14-5 behind after three innings.

The eight-game winning streak was brought to an end by another come-from-behind tie with Speeders in the first game of the double-header, though Thunder 2 had by then ascended to the top of the table on the back of ten games without defeat. This record was ended by Titans, playing the best softball of the Division 2 season to win 13-8 as the game was ended—some would say prematurely—by bad light. Speeders took advantage of the absence of Thunder 2’s pitching staff in the antepenultimate game of the season to inflict a second loss on the team, though that would not be enough to save Thunder 2 from their fate of a Division 2 title and promotion to Division 1.

Last five seasons

History and accolades

• Founded 2010 as Drizzle
• Did not enter 2014, re-entered 2015 as Drizzle
• Current name since 2019.
• Division 3 winners: 2011, 2019
• Division 2 winners: 2024