The Blaze stretched their lead on the prime of the desk to 9 factors after overcoming second-placed Hampshire by three wickets within the One-Day Cup at Trent Bridge.
Chasing 210 to win, Tammy Beaumont top-scored with 57, backed up by Kathryn Bryce’s 32 and Orla Prendergast’s 28 earlier than Emma Jones led her facet throughout the road with an unbeaten 37 from 30 balls as The Blaze clinched a sixth consecutive win with 29 balls to spare.
Earlier, Hampshire skipper Georgia Adams had made 89, Ella McCaughan 48 and Francesca Candy an unbeaten 35 however, with Blaze strike bowler Charley Phillips persevering with a advantageous begin to the season by taking 4-31, Hampshire fell away to 209 all out after opting to bat first.
Phillips, who has simply turned 23 and is a seamer with actual tempo, raised her tally to 18 because the main wicket-taker within the competitors.
The Blaze misplaced Marie Kelly within the third over of the chase, bowled by a swinging supply from Daisy Gibb. On a turning pitch. Beaumont and Kathryn Bryce added 59 earlier than the latter missed an tried paddle-scoop and was leg earlier than for 32.
Beaumont and Georgia Elwiss, who had shared a partnership of 131 towards Somerset on Wednesday, placed on 51 this time earlier than Elwiss was caught at slip off a top-edged paddle-sweep.
At 117-3 on the 25-over mark, The Blaze seemed snug.
Beaumont, who made an unbeaten 99 within the win over Somerset, wasted a possibility by looping a rank full toss from Bex Dyson straight to mid-off, earlier than England left-arm spinner Linsey Smith bowled Sarah Bryce. When Prendergast was caught at further cowl, Smith claiming a second success, the end result seemed a lot much less sure at 162-6.
Kirstie Gordon was bowled by Tyson for one with 36 nonetheless wanted however Jones and Lucy Higham saved their nerve, Jones clinching the win together with her fifth boundary.
Hampshire’s innings suffered an early double setback as Phillips struck twice in her opening over, pinning Rhianna Southby in entrance and bowling Abi Norgrove off the pads, to go away the guests 2-2.
It was the right begin for The Blaze, but Adams led a formidable restoration alongside McCaughan, the pair including 116 in 29 overs.
Adams, who led Hampshire to a win over Yorkshire on Wednesday after coming back from damage, picked up half a dozen boundaries in a 72-ball half century, ruthlessly placing away something unfastened on the leg facet specifically, however McCaughan fell two runs wanting a second consecutive fifty, trapped on the crease by Elwiss.
But Hampshire will really feel they need to have made extra of an excellent place. Naomi Dattani was run out, paying for her hesitation on the non-striker’s finish as Elwiss’ throw from mid-off beat her comfortably, and Adams, after surviving a caught-and-bowled probability 88, perished in the identical over, bowled swinging at Kathryn Bryce.
Candy, who hit her first half-century for Hampshire earlier within the week, impressed once more however the innings in any other case fell away quickly, the top of Adams sparking the lack of their final six wickets for simply 26.
Some wonderful fielding by Jones and Kathryn Bryce respectively ran out Smith and Daisy Gibbs, Amanda Jade-Wellington holed out to vast long-on, and each Poppy Tulloch and Tyson had been bowled.
