Blaze Maintain Unbeaten Streak with 100 Per Cent Victory over Thunder

Thunder 151 for 6 (Lamb 63*, Balling 2-25) was defeated by the Blaze 152 for 5 (Bryce 61, Gaur 3-39) by five wickets.

After being sent in, Thunder were knocked out for 151 for 6 by a fierce fifth-wicket partnership of 44 from Ailsa Lister and Emma Lamb, who both extended their outstanding run with an unbeaten 63. With a 2 for 25, Grace Ballinger led the Blaze in bowling.

Kathryn Bryce scored a brilliant 61 to lead Blaze to 152 for 5 with seven balls remaining and their third consecutive victory. After losing to South East Stars at Beckenham on Friday, Mahika Gaur took out both openers early on her way to 3 for 39. Thunder was still in the game until the last few overs, when Bryce joined the assault, leaving the visitors nursing consecutive losses.

Ballinger bowled Fi Morris through an attempted slog as Thunder started their innings brightly with 19 from the first two overs, with thunder thundering in the clouds overhead.

Seren Smale immediately fell victim to Lucy Higham’s throw as she faltered over a crisp single. Then, with Thunder on 55 for 3 from nine overs, Kirstie Gordon bowled Eleanor Threlkeld with such brilliance that heavy rain eventually arrived.

Following the restart, Lamb made a clear declaration of purpose by reverse-sweeping the first two balls for four runs in an over that ended at sixteen. After Sarah off Kathryn stumped Danielle Collins, the Bryce sisters took advantage of the situation, but Lister gave Lamb strong assistance, enabling him to reach a half-century stand in just 35 balls.

Also Read: ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Winners List (1973-2023) Full Winners And Runners List

Lamb reached fifty in forty-eight balls and provided a solid platform for the aggressive Lister, who hit six fours before lofting Nadine de Klerk to long on, where Marie Kelly expertly judged an incredibly challenging catch in the whirling wind.

With two wickets in eight balls, Gaur severely damaged Blaze’s reply early on. This was made possible by sloppy batting, as Teresa Graves chipped to mid-wicket and Kelly hoisted a pull to deep square. After Tara Norris was sliced to backward point by Sarah Bryce (age 24), the Bryce sisters reconstructed with a stand of 47 from 39 balls.

Blaze needed some momentum at 64 for 3 after ten overs, and de Klerk gave it some with 14 off of three balls from Collins. Then, de Klerk’s attack (25) came to an end when Morris deftly put a halt on the scoring when she top-edged a skier off Gaur to Hannah Jones at fine leg.

The crucial over came in the sixteenth over, when Kathryn Bryce hit three consecutive sixes off of Jones’ wicket, helping her reach 50 off of 45 balls. Blaze needed just 24 runs from the next four overs after scoring 20 in that over. Bryce left the game with seven balls remaining, but Ella Claridge’s flawless cameo of 18 not out from 10 balls saw her side cross the finish line.