Nat Sciver-Brunt warms up properly for Ashes with 96* firing Blaze to victory
The Blaze 212 for five (Sciver-Brunt 96*) beat Central Sparks 156 for six (A. Jones 55, de Klerk 2-26) by 56 runs
England batter Nat Sciver-Brunt confirmed she is warming up properly for this summer season’s Ashes with a brutal unbeaten 96 as The Blaze crushed Central Sparks by 56 runs within the Charlotte Edwards Cup in Leicester.
It’s three wins from three within the match for Blaze after a powerhouse efficiency with the bat noticed them pile up 212 for five. Sciver-Brunt led the best way together with her high-class knock from 50 balls and it was her third-wicket partnership of 94 off 49 with Georgie Boyce that took the sport away from Sparks.
The circulate of the match by no means modified after that as correct bowling restricted Sparks to 156 for six. Sciver-Brunt’s England team-mate Amy Jones made a sprightly 55 however Kirstie Gordon’s 1 for 19 from her 4 overs and Lucy Higham’s 1 for 12 off three stored a brake on the scoring whereas Nadine de Klerk picked up 2 for 26.
Blaze have been put in however imposed themselves from the beginning. Tammy Beaumont chipped the fourth ball of the innings over mid-wicket for six and former Sparks batter Marie Kelly struck three successive fours within the second over.
The openers added 35 in 4 overs however then fell within the house of three balls. Grace Potts bowled Beaumont via a quixotic ramp and Kelly chipped Georgia Davis’s second ball to mid-off.
Sciver-Brunt and Boyce have been sooner scoring quickly in opposition to bowling which supplied them an excessive amount of width. The former greeted Hannah Baker into the assault with a candy six over long-off on the best way to a 28-ball half-century.
Issy Wong broke via with a slower ball that bowled Boyce however Kathryn Bryce and Sarah Glenn batted brightly for a quick time to supply Sciver-Brunt useful assist and preserve the momentum excessive.
With 200 on the board already, the query going into the final over was whether or not the England star may attain 100. She started the over on 90 and hit the primary ball for 4, her fifteenth to go along with two sixes, however then misplaced the strike for 3 of the final 4 balls.
Under immense scoreboard stress, Sparks misplaced Bethan Ellis within the third over when she chipped Higham to mid-off. Higham conceding simply 4 runs from two overs to disclaim the Sparks the flying begin they desperately wanted.
Skipper Eve Jones’s quest for rhythm was not helped by going through simply 16 balls in 9 overs and when she lifted de Klerk to long-on, she departed together with her aspect needing 147 from 11 overs.
Amy Jones struck seven fours and two sixes however when she fell lbw slog-sweeping, Sparks have been left needing a miracle. Erin Burns departed in comparable style to Gordon and the guests entered the final 5 overs requiring 102. Abi Freeborn struck three fours within the first of these overs however, even then, the over got here in effectively in need of the required quantity and, in superb sunshine, Blaze cruised to victory.