The Blaze clinched their place in the semi-finals of the One-Day Cup women’s competition after overcoming Durham by four wickets at Trent Bridge.
Half-centuries by Ireland international Orla Prendergast (67) and Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce (66) broke the back of a 253-run target, the two all-rounders adding 107 in 109 balls for the third wicket before experienced England all-rounder Georgia Elwiss finished the job with an unbeaten 46 from 45 balls.
Half-centuries from Mady Villiers, who hit a career-best 79 from 88 balls including 12 fours, and Emily Windsor (54) helped Durham Women to 252-9 from their 50 overs after opting to bat first.
A home semi-final next Wednesday will be guaranteed if The Blaze win at bottom-of-the-table Essex on Saturday. Durham could still finish in the top four by beating Surrey at home on Saturday, but would need other results to go their way.
Elwiss, Kathryn Bryce and Kirstie Gordon took two wickets each for The Blaze, spinners Katie Levick and Villiers doing likewise for Durham.
On a sunny morning, the visitors had suffered an early setback when Emma Marlow slipped when sent back and was run out. They finished the opening powerplay strongly to be 47-2 but had lost captain and key batter Hollie Armitage, caught at gully off a delivery that climbed on her late.
Mia Rogers made 25 before chipping to extra cover but Durham looked well placed at 107-3 from 25.
Villiers pulled Lucy Higham’s off-spin for her ninth four in reaching 53 from 56 balls, finding the rope again in the same over. She picked up two more boundaries to pass her previous best of 70 in this format.
Yet the home attack were disciplined enough to stifle Durham’s efforts to increase their scoring rate and began to reap rewards.
Skipper Gordon broke the Villiers-Windsor partnership at 75 when Villiers, going back, was beaten by her left-arm spin and bowled. All-rounder Elwiss, nigglingly accurate, bowled Bess Heath for her 200th wicket in women’s List A cricket.
Windsor completed her half-century from 69 balls but had added only four more when she was stumped off Gordon. Phoebe Turner pulled Grace Ballinger for an impressive six over the longer boundary but was trapped in front by Elwiss.
From 210-7 in the 45th, Durham’s cause was helped by Katherine Fraser slog-sweeping back-to-back sixes off Kathryn Bryce before miscueing Ballinger to backward point. Bryce bowled Grace Thompson but Levick and Sophia Turner scrambled another 14 off the last 11 balls.
The Blaze matched Durham’s 10-over score for one wicket fewer at 47-1, leg-spinner Levick having bowled Georgie Boyce off her front pad.
Sarah Bryce was caught behind off Phoebe Turner but Prendergast clubbed Levick over the leg-side boundary to bring up a 50-stand with Kathryn Bryce from 45 balls and by the halfway point The Blaze were well on course to attain their target at 130-2, a brace of boundaries off Phoebe Turner taking Bryce to her sixth half-century of the competition.
Prendergast lofted Levick for a second maximum as she reached 54 from 60 balls, the partnership eventually ended when Bryce backed away to cut Levick and was bowled, leaving 82 needed in 19 overs.
That had come down to 48 off 13 when Prendergast picked out deep midwicket. Michaela Kirk was caught behind chasing a third boundary in four deliveries off Villiers and Ella Claridge was bowled by Fraser but Elwiss, who at 34-years-old has topped 900 all-format runs in her debut season for The Blaze, made sure there was no nervy finish.
ECB Reporters’ Network supported by Rothesay.
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