The Blaze and Warwickshire find themselves in the cluttered mid-section of the standings in the ECB Women’s One Day Cup 2026. The Blaze currently holds the fifth spot with 8 points from three games, having managed two wins and one loss. Warwickshire follows closely in sixth with 6 points; however, their progress has been slightly hampered by the weather, with one of their three matches ending in a No Result. A win for Warwickshire would see them jump ahead of their opponents, making this a pivotal four-pointer.
Squads:
The Blaze Women’s Cricket Team
Ella Claridge, Georgie Boyce, Maddy Green, Marie Kelly, Michaela Kirk, Prisha Thanawala, Tammy Beaumont, Georgia Elwiss, Heather Graham, Kathryn Bryce, Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Orla Prendergast, Amy Jones, Sarah Bryce, Scarlett Hughes, Amy Wheeler, Cassidy McCarthy, Charley Phillips, Grace Ballinger, Josie Groves, Kirstie Gordon, Lucy Higham, Olivia Baker, Sarah Glenn
Warwickshire Women’s Cricket Team
Chloe Brewer, Meg Austin, Amuruthaa Surenkumar, Bethan Ellis, Charis Pavely, Davina Perrin, Abbey Freeborn, Natasha Wraith, Emily Arlott, Georgia Davis, Hannah Baker, Hannah Hardwick, Hannah Rainey, Issy Wong, Katie George, Millie Taylor
Players to watch out:
Marie Kelly
Marie Kelly has been a vital cog in The Blaze’s batting lineup, providing stability whenever she steps out to the middle. Across 3 innings, she has put together 137 runs at a solid average of 45.66, often acting as the anchor while others play more aggressively around her. Her strike rate of 77.40 and a tally of 18 boundaries suggest a player who knows exactly how to pace a chase and pick her gaps with precision.
Katie George
Katie George has shown her class for Warwickshire this season, consistently finding ways to impact the game with the bat. She has accumulated 139 runs in 3 matches, staying unbeaten in one of those outings to maintain a high average of 69.50. With a best score of 56 and a scoring rate of 88.53, she has balanced aggression and caution perfectly, hitting 14 fours and 2 sixes along the way.
Grace Ballinger
Leading the charge for The Blaze with the ball, Grace Ballinger has been a constant threat to opposition batters. In her 3 appearances so far, she has managed to bag 7 wickets at an average of 15.71, proving her worth as a frontline strike option. She’s maintained a tidy economy of 3.92 over 28 overs, with her standout performance being a sharp 3/30 that helped stifle the opposition’s scoring.
Amu Surenkumar
Amu Surenkumar has been a useful utility player for Warwickshire, particularly with her knack for picking up wickets in short bursts. In the 10 overs she has bowled across 3 matches, she has already claimed 4 wickets at a very respectable average of 16.50. Her best figures of 2/13 highlight her efficiency, and despite a slightly higher economy of 6.60, her strike rate of 15.00 shows she’s always in the hunt for a breakthrough.
Pitch:
Famously known as Ciderabad for its traditionally spin-friendly surfaces, it is a small, high-scoring ground where the ball can travel a long way, but it remains one of the premier venues for slow bowlers in the UK.
Weather:
The overhead will be cloudy with a high of 14°C and a low of 6°C, with wind from the northeast at 9 mph, a 25% chance of daytime rain.
Fantasy Playing XI:
Maddy Green, Marie Kelly, Georgia Elwiss, Heather Graham, Grace Ballinger, Sarah Glenn, Amuruthaa Surenkumar, Bethan Ellis, Davina Perrin, Issy Wong, Katie George
Match Details:
Date – April 29, 2026
Time – 3:00 PM IST
Venue – The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
Broadcast – The ECB app, website, and YouTube channels.
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