Cricket

The Blaze continued their impressive start to the Charlotte Edwards Cup with a thrilling five-wicket victory over Thunder at Loughborough.Thunder, put into bat, were lifted to a competitive 151 for 6 by a pugnacious fifth-wicket partnership of 73 from 50 balls between Emma Lamb (63*) and Ailsa Lister (44). Grace Ballinger led the Blaze bowling with 2 for 25.In reply, Blaze were guided to victory by a composed 61 from Kathryn Bryce. Mahika Gaur removed both openers early on her way to 3 for 39, but Bryce's timely intervention in the closing overs proved decisive.Thunder's innings began brightly, but they lost early wickets to Ballinger and Lucy Higham. Lamb and Lister then steadied the ship with a rapid half-century stand, but Lister's dismissal triggered a mini-collapse.Blaze's reply also started poorly, with Gaur removing Marie Kelly and Teresa Graves cheaply. However, the Bryce sisters rebuilt the innings with a 47-run partnership before Sarah Bryce departed.Nadine de Klerk provided a brief flurry with 14 from three balls, but her dismissal left Blaze needing 24 from the last four overs. Kathryn Bryce then took charge, smashing three consecutive sixes off Hannah Jones to put her side on the brink of victory.Ella Claridge finished the job with a cameo of 18 not out from 10 balls, securing Blaze's third successive win.

Thunder's resilience was tested to the limit as they narrowly escaped with a one-wicket victory over The Blaze in a thrilling Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy encounter. Bolstered by the return of four England players, Thunder looked poised for a comfortable win after a solid start. However, a dramatic collapse saw them lose six wickets for 39 runs, giving The Blaze a glimmer of hope.England A batter Seren Smale (58) and opener Emma Lamb (44) had provided a solid foundation for Thunder, guiding them to 89 without loss in 15 overs. But the Blaze spinners, led by Kirstie Gordon (3-23) and Lucy Higham (3-28), fought back valiantly, exploiting the conditions to restrict Thunder's scoring.As the wickets tumbled, it was left to last-wicket pair Phoebe Graham and Hannah Jones to hold their nerve and guide Thunder to victory. Jones struck the winning boundary in the 45th over, securing a hard-fought triumph.Earlier, The Blaze had been bowled out for 174 in 46.4 overs, with England's Mahika Gaur (3-33) and Jones (3-37) sharing the spoils. Gordon's 43 provided some resistance, but it was ultimately not enough to prevent Thunder from claiming their second win of the campaign.

Southern Vipers emerged victorious in a thrilling three-wicket triumph over Thunder, extending their winning streak to three matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. Nancy Harman played a pivotal role in the victory, guiding her team to the finish line in a tense chase.Thunder, batting first, struggled in the opening Powerplay, losing Shachi Pai early on. However, Seren Smale and Katie Mack steadied the innings with a 94-run partnership. Smale, in particular, showcased her class, reaching her third career fifty and narrowly missing out on a century after being run out on 99.Vipers' bowlers, led by Linsey Smith's economical spell, kept Thunder in check throughout the innings. Smith claimed three wickets for just 19 runs, while Alice Monaghan and Mary Taylor also chipped in with crucial wickets.In response, Vipers' chase got off to a shaky start as Ella McCaughan and Charli Knott departed cheaply. Georgia Adams and Georgia Elwiss then steadied the ship with a solid partnership, but Elwiss's dismissal and Emily Windsor's quick departure put Vipers under pressure.Adams, who reached her 15th half-century, played a crucial knock, but her dismissal left Vipers needing 72 runs with just 39 balls remaining. Harman, Southby, and Monaghan stepped up to the plate, guiding Vipers to victory with three wickets in hand.Harman, in her first appearance of the season, played a match-winning innings, scoring an unbeaten 24 and ensuring Vipers' unbeaten record against Thunder remains intact.

Western Storm emerged victorious in their Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy opener, crushing Thunder by 66 runs at Emirates Old Trafford. Sophie Luff's unbeaten 76 anchored Storm's impressive 252 for 6, while Sophie Ecclestone's 3-16 threatened to derail their innings.Despite Ecclestone's early wickets, Storm rallied with crucial partnerships. Luff and Nat Wraith forged a 70-run alliance, followed by Luff and Niamh Holland's 46-run stand. Amanda-Jade Wellington's late cameo of 31 off 19 balls propelled Storm to a challenging total.Thunder's chase faltered early with Seren Smale's dismissal. Emma Lamb and Katie Mack steadied the ship with a 62-run partnership, but Wellington's double strike and a disastrous spell from Chloe Skelton left Thunder reeling at 104 for 6.Ellie Threlkeld and Kate Cross briefly revived Thunder's hopes with a 69-run partnership, but Sophia Smale's three wickets and Mahika Gaur's dismissal sealed Storm's victory.Storm's openers, Griffiths and Smale, provided a solid foundation with a 50-run partnership. Griffiths' dismissal triggered a mini-collapse, but Luff's resilience and late acceleration, coupled with Wellington's quickfire knock, propelled Storm to a formidable score.Thunder's spinners, led by Ecclestone, initially controlled the game, but Storm's determined fightback and Luff's anchoring innings proved too much to overcome.

Northern Diamonds' experienced trio of Katie Levick, Lauren Winfield-Hill, and Hollie Armitage led the team to a dominant nine-wicket victory over Thunder in their opening match of the season at Chester-le-Street.Levick, a veteran legspinner, spearheaded the Diamonds' bowling attack, claiming 4 for 38 as Thunder was dismissed for 165 in 43.1 overs. The visitors' innings was anchored by Seren Smale's 32, but they struggled to build substantial partnerships.In response, Winfield-Hill and Armitage, both England internationals, guided the Diamonds to a comfortable victory with unbeaten half-centuries. Winfield-Hill struck 69*, while Armitage contributed 61* as the hosts reached the target in just 34.3 overs.Thunder's batting woes began early when Emma Lamb was dismissed for a duck by Jessica Woolston. Smale showed some resistance, but she lacked support from her teammates. Australian debutant Katie Mack made a promising start with 19, but she was trapped in front by Abi Glenn.Glenn then bowled Fi Morris for a first-ball duck, leaving Thunder reeling at 40 for 3. The umpires were kept busy as both Ellie Threlkeld and Smale departed leg-before, with Smale's 32 being the highest score of the innings.Levick turned the screw, taking the last three wickets to fall and finishing with impressive figures of 4 for 38 from 9.1 overs. Thunder's total of 165 proved to be well below par.Winfield-Hill and Sterre Kalis attacked from the outset of the Diamonds' innings, putting pressure on Thunder's bowlers. Phoebe Graham and Mahika Gaur bowled tightly, but they failed to make a breakthrough until the 14th over when Kalis was caught for 28.Armitage joined Winfield-Hill at the crease, and the pair put on a match-winning partnership. They attacked Thunder's bowlers, particularly Norris and Morris, with some powerful hitting. Winfield-Hill reached her half-century, and Armitage followed suit in the 34th over.The century partnership was completed shortly before the winning runs were hit, leaving Winfield-Hill and Armitage unbeaten at the close. The Diamonds secured a bonus-point victory, setting the tone for a promising start to their season.