The Blaze 220 for 5 (Higham 62, S Bryce 61) triumphed over Western Storm 217 (Wilson 67, K Bryce 4-20) by five wickets
In a thrilling Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy match at Cheltenham, Lucy Higham and Ella Claridge's unbeaten partnership of 105 runs guided The Blaze to a five-wicket victory over Western Storm.
Chasing a target of 218, The Blaze got off to a strong start with Sarah Bryce smashing 61 runs off 54 balls. However, the match hung in balance when The Blaze faltered to 115 for 5. It was Higham and Claridge who then stabilised the innings with scores of 62 and 43 respectively, securing the win with 7.3 overs to spare.
Earlier, Fran Wilson top-scored for Western Storm with 67, contributing to a 62-run partnership with Sophie Luff. After Luff was run out for 31 by Kathryn Bryce, a collapse ensued, with the last eight wickets adding only 84 runs, resulting in a total of 217 all out in 47 overs. Kathryn Bryce's stellar bowling performance, taking 4 for 20, played a crucial role in restricting the Storm.
Rooted at the bottom of the table, Storm has now suffered five consecutive losses in the 50-over format. They face challenging fixtures against Central Sparks and leaders Southern Vipers next week. Meanwhile, The Blaze remains fifth in the standings with their fourth win of the season, boosting their confidence ahead of Sunday’s away game against title-contenders Northern Diamonds.
Despite losing the toss and being asked to bat under cloudy conditions, the Storm had a decent start, with Corney and Smale putting together a 57-run opening stand. Kirstie Gordon broke the partnership by bowling Corney for 23, and Josie Groves dismissed Smale for 32, reducing Storm to 71 for 2.
Wilson and Luff then added 50 runs for the third wicket, but their promising partnership was cut short at 62 runs due to a mix-up, resulting in Luff being run out for 31. Wilson continued to score, reaching her second consecutive fifty of the festival in 53 balls, adding 35 runs with Nat Wraith. However, Wraith's dismissal for 20 and Wilson's eventual fall for 67 triggered another collapse, with Kathryn Bryce cleaning up the tail.
In pursuit of 218, The Blaze lost Tammy Beaumont early to Issy Wong for six runs. Sarah Bryce took control, scoring a rapid 36-ball 50, pushing The Blaze to 75 for 2 by the end of the power play. Despite losing Marie Kelly, Heather Graham, and Bryce in quick succession, reducing them to 115 for 5, Claridge and Higham steadied the ship.
The duo adopted a cautious approach initially before increasing their aggression as the target neared. Higham reached her fifty off 60 balls in the 39th over, sealing the win with a sweep for her sixth boundary.
The Blaze's emphatic victory over Western Storm was marked by stellar performances from Higham, Bryce, and Claridge, solidifying their position in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy table.