Nat Sciver-Brunt hit 31 from 25 balls in her first domestic appearance in England in nearly two years The Blaze overcame Lancashire to remain unbeaten and close the gap at the top on Women's T20 Blast leaders Surrey as Hampshire also won to remain in touch. Australia's Heather Graham collected 3-36 as The Blaze restricted Thunder to 150-9 at Leicester. Scotland's Ailsa Lister provided the main Lancashire resistance with a superb 79 from 38 balls. The hosts were in a spot of bother at 84-4 in the 12th over when England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt departed for 31 in her first domestic appearance since 2023. But Georgia Elwiss hit an unbeaten 43 to steer them over the line with 10 balls to spare and five wickets in hand. At Taunton, Freya Kemp smashed an unbeaten 65 as Hampshire posted 169-6 and, despite 60 from Niamh Holland and 43 from Amanda-Jade Wellington, the winless hosts' brave chase fell five runs short. After being asked to bat first, Thunder struggled to 29-2 in the six-over powerplay but Lister had an escape when she was dropped at mid-wicket on three. Thunder were 65-4 in the 12th over but the fifth-wicket pair of Lister and Fi Morris (22) almost doubled the total before the latter hit Graham straight to backward point with 15 balls to go. Alana King, Kate Cross and Tara Norris went without scoring and Lister, dropped again on 62, eventually fell to the final ball from Graham, having hit the Australian for six twice in addition to nine fours in her 79 - the highest by the team this season. The Blaze lost Tammy Beaumont and Kathryn Bryce early in the reply but Sciver-Brunt hit four of her first 10 balls to the boundary and the hosts looked comfortable at the halfway point, needing 78 to win. Sciver-Brunt missed a straight ball from Grace Potts to depart and England colleague Amy Jones followed for 16 soon after but three fours from Graham (19*) regained momentum and Elwiss hit her seventh four down the ground to win it. On a scorching day at Taunton, Hampshire openers Maia Bouchier and Charli Knott put on 80 before Chloe Skelton took a fine catch over her shoulder at mid-on to send Bouchier on her way for 43 from 26 balls with eight boundaries. In her final game before returning to Australia, Knott holed out to international team-mate Wellington at long-on 10 balls later for 43 from 34 balls. Georgia Adams (10) and Rhianna Southby fell in successive deliveries to Charlie Dean (3-25), while Abi Norgrove was run out in the next over. But Kemp went through the gears, with seven fours and two sixes in her 38-ball stay which guided the visitors to 169-6. Seeking their first win in their seventh match, Somerset fell to 19-2 after four overs but Holland shared a stand of 52 with Sophie Luff (23) and then 63 with Wellington on her way to a career-best T20 innings of 60 from 53 balls, to set up a tense finale. Wellington hit 44 from 25 balls but fell in the final over as the hosts came up just short at 164-6. Durham v Essex (14:30 BST) Bears v Blaze (15:00 BST)
Blaze heating up while Hampshire Hawks close gap
TruthLens AI Suggested Headline:
"The Blaze Remains Unbeaten as Hampshire Secures Narrow Victory in Women's T20 Blast"
Bbc News
8.7
TruthLens AI Summary
In an exciting round of Women's T20 Blast matches, The Blaze maintained their unbeaten streak and closed the gap on the league leaders, Surrey. The team triumphed over Lancashire, thanks in part to the performance of Australia's Heather Graham, who took 3 wickets for 36 runs, helping restrict Thunder to a total of 150 runs for 9 wickets. The match saw Scotland's Ailsa Lister shine for Lancashire, scoring a remarkable 79 runs off 38 balls. The Blaze faced a challenging moment when they found themselves at 84 for 4 after losing England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, who managed to score 31 runs in her first domestic game in nearly two years. However, Georgia Elwiss played a pivotal role by scoring an unbeaten 43 runs, guiding The Blaze to victory with ten balls to spare and five wickets in hand, thereby solidifying their position in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Hampshire also secured a win in their match against Somerset, keeping them in close competition for the top spots. Freya Kemp was a standout performer, scoring an impressive 65 runs not out, which helped Hampshire to set a target of 169 runs for 6 wickets. Despite a valiant effort from Somerset's Niamh Holland, who scored 60 runs, the home team fell just short, finishing at 164 for 6. The match featured significant contributions from other players, including Amanda-Jade Wellington, who scored 43 runs. Hampshire's openers Maia Bouchier and Charli Knott each scored 43 runs, helping to lay a solid foundation before Kemp accelerated the scoring. The matches showcased intense competition as teams vie for the top of the table in this thrilling T20 tournament, with each game offering exciting performances and close finishes.
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