2-time winners Southern Vipers lost a tight match to table-topping The Blaze in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Newclose on Tuesday (11th July).
The 2 teams last met in the final of the T20 Charlotte Edwards Cup at Worcester last month with the Vipers victorious on that rain-affected occasion. This time the format was 50 overs and The Blaze had their revenge.
Vipers lost the toss and were inserted, with Ella McCaughan and England international Maia Bouchier opening up against Grace Ballinger and South Africa international Nadine de Klerk.
They made a steady start, accumulating runs where they could and Bouchier was given a life when dropped at mid-off by Blaze captain Kirstie Gordon off the bowling of Ballinger.
It looked like it could be an expensive miss when Bouchier creamed 3 consecutive boundaries off Ballinger’s next over but Gordon redeemed herself almost immediately by trapping McCaughan LBW upon introducing herself into the attack. McCaughan did not seem best pleased with the decision and motioned to her bat when walking off as if to suggest she had hit it.
Vipers captain Georgia Adams came to the crease at number 3 and shared a partnership of 26 runs in 4 overs with Bouchier before the latter became Gordon’s 2nd victim. Adams then shared 50 partnerships with Emily Windsor and England international Georgia Elwiss before they were dismissed by Gordon and the returning de Klerk respectively.
Freya Kemp – another England international – lasted just 2 balls before becoming de Klerk’s 2nd victim and at this point Adams started to hit out, smashing the game’s only maximums as she tried to get her side to a defendable total.
In the end, The Vipers finished their 50 overs on 259/7 with Adams finishing on 94 not out in a captain’s knock that held the innings together. For The Blaze, de Klerk and Gordon were the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets each while Kathryn Bryce took the other and conceded just 33 runs off her allotted 10 overs.
It seemed like a reasonable total but, after the break, The Blaze got off to an excellent start with openers Marie Kelly and Sarah Bryce sharing the game’s only century partnership as they put on 115 for the 1st wicket before the latter was caught behind off Adams for a fine 52.
Thereafter, each of The Blaze’s batters continued to chip in and with 10 overs remaining they were just 48 runs shy of their target and, with 7 wickets in hand, seemingly set to canter to victory.
However, a Vipers fightback then ensued to set up a tense finish. Georgie Boyce was removed by Maitlan Brown for 36 and in the 44th over England international Linsey Smith removed the set Kirk for 34 and then Teresa Graves 1st ball to leave her on a hat-trick and 2 new batters at the crease.
Sophie Munro saw off the hat-trick ball and together with the experienced de Klerk, slowly inched The Blaze towards their total. A couple of quick wickets could have swung it for The Vipers but it wasn’t to be and in the 48th over Munro and de Klerk each took a boundary off Maitlan Brown leaving them needing just 5 runs off the final 2 overs.
Munro then hit a 4 and a single off the 1st 2 balls of the 49th over and The Blaze had won – with 4 wickets and 10 balls to spare.
For the teams involved, The Blaze now find themselves comfortably at the top of the table while The Vipers are currently languishing in a slightly perilous position in 6th place.
In mitigation, the Vipers were missing England trio Lauren Bell, Charlie Dean and Danni Wyatt who were involved in yesterday’s crucial One Day International victory against Australia in the Women’s Ashes at Bristol. The Blaze were also missing top-scorer and new owner of England Women’s highest ever international score, Tammy Beaumont.
But despite the absence of those 4 stars, it was a great game and the standard of cricket was exceptionally high. There was a decent crowd and a number of local schools in attendance with kids also making use of the nets as the game went on around them.
The next professional match to take place at Newclose will be Hampshire vs Kent in the Men’s 50 over 1 Day Cup on Tuesday 22nd August at 11:00. Tickets can be bought here from just £5 for Under-17s.
