Leaders Blaze edge past Hampshire in One-Day Cup
The Blaze make it seven wins out of eight in the One-Day Cup with a three-wicket win over Hampshire.
Metro Bank Women's One-Day Cup, Trent Bridge Hampshire 209 (50 overs): Adams 89; Phillips 4-31 The Blaze 211-7 (45. 1 overs): Beaumont 57; Tyson 3-52 The Blaze beat Hampshire by three wickets The Blaze stretched their lead at the top of the table to nine points after overcoming second-placed Hampshire by three wickets in 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 before Emma Jones led her side across the line 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 Sweet an unbeaten 35 but, with Blaze strike bowler Charley Phillips continuing a fine start to the season by taking 4-31, Hampshire fell away to 209 all out after opting to bat first. Phillips, who has just turned 23 and is a seamer with real pace, raised her tally to 18 as the leading wicket-taker in the competition. The Blaze lost Marie Kelly in the third over of the chase, bowled by a swinging delivery from Daisy Gibb.
On a turning pitch. Beaumont and Kathryn Bryce added 59 before the latter missed an attempted paddle-scoop and was leg before for 32. Beaumont and Georgia Elwiss, who had shared a partnership of 131 against Somerset on Wednesday, put on 51 this time before Elwiss was caught at slip off a top-edged paddle-sweep.
At 117-3 at the 25-over mark, The Blaze looked comfortable. Beaumont, who made an unbeaten 99 in the win over Somerset, wasted an opportunity by looping a rank full toss from Bex Dyson straight to mid-off, before England left-arm spinner Linsey Smith bowled Sarah Bryce. When Prendergast was caught at extra cover, Smith claiming a second success, the outcome looked much less certain at 162-6.