The Blaze 209/9-23/0 Western Storm (Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy) 10.05.23
*Match abandoned
A day that began with sunshine, ended in rain and abandonment, at least preserves the unbeaten start to the season for Nottinghamshire’s newest franchise, the East Midlands establishment now known as ‘the Blaze’ are sitting pretty at the top of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy group stages, three wins and two no results from five after their latest match against Western Storm was cut short.
A green pitch in lovely quaint midweek settings welcomed the two sides to Leicestershire’s Grace Road as the Storm put the Blaze into bat, that looked a good idea too as the South Westerners took the wickets of Tammy Beaumont and Marie Kelly for just one run each early doors.
Georgie Boyce and Kathryn Bryce steadied the ship but when both went ahead of the hundred it looked to domino a catastrophic collapse likened to the weekends low scoring thriller in Durham. The Blaze suddenly 99/6 after winning their game on Saturday needing just 62 against the Northern Diamonds, they raced a third of the way to total without loss before stumbling past target with six wickets down.
Still, they were back home and in the Lady Bay Sports Club car park little after 6pm and it looked equally like this might be an early finish too, but credit Nadine de Klerk who dug in and sparked the Blaze back on track.
The South African scored 43 off 62 balls with a little help from Sophie Munro (24) and Kirstie Gordon (19), the Blaze eventually surpassed the 200 barrier, captain Gordon and Grace Ballinger left standing nine down for 209 as the innings came to complete.
In response, the skies darkened for the start of the Storm innings as five overs were played with Heather Knight and Alex Griffith’s in good nick before the heavens annoyingly opened, Storm looking confident on 23 without loss, the grounds staff however less so with the conditions in the outfield, they eventually persuaded match referee James Whitaker to call it a day with a no result frustrating all as the clock neared 4pm.
Leicestershire understandably keeping their playing surface intact ahead of the visit of Sussex tomorrow in the County Championship where India’s Cheteshwar Pujara and former Australian captain Steve Smith will be hoping for time at the crease, perhaps the decision on the early abandonment having something to do with that?
The Blaze now take a nine day break ahead of a week Saturday’s trip to Kent where they’ll play South East Stars in the T20 Charlotte Edwards Cup, that tournament will be played over the next couple of months towards completion before the Rachael Hayhoe Flint returns, where the Blaze will be hoping to re-ignite their unbeaten start.
*Article provided by Daniel Peacock (Editor).
*Main image @TheBlazeCricket Nadine de Klerk was in fine nick with the bat.
