A closely fought contest at the Kenton County Cricket Ground saw The Blaze Women produce a composed run chase to defeat Surrey Women by five wickets with 10 balls remaining in the ECB Women’s One-Day Cup. Surrey Women posted a competitive 252 for 9 from their 50 overs after being asked to bat first, but The Blaze Women’s disciplined batting performance helped them successfully chase down the target, reaching 253 for 5 in 48.2 overs.
Surrey Women began their innings with the experienced opening pair of Alice Monaghan and Kira Chathli looking to provide a solid foundation. Monaghan played a fluent innings of 49 runs from 47 balls, striking seven fours and a six, while Chathli contributed a valuable 37 from 48 deliveries. The opening stand helped Surrey settle into the contest before The Blaze Women struck back. Monaghan was dismissed for 49, caught by Knott off Jones, bringing an end to a promising start.
Ryanna MacDonald-Gay then joined the rebuilding effort and added 39 runs from 56 balls, combining well with Chathli before Surrey lost momentum. MacDonald-Gay’s innings ended through a run out, while Chathli fell for 37 after being caught by Thanawala off Andrews’ bowling. Surrey were then in need of a stabilising partnership after slipping to 127 for 3.
Alice Davidson-Richards attempted to steady the innings but was dismissed for 12, leaving Surrey looking for a major contribution in the middle order. Jemima Spence provided exactly that with an impressive 59-run knock from 72 balls, hitting six fours. She built important partnerships and kept Surrey moving forward despite regular wickets. Spence’s dismissal, caught by Claridge off Ballinger, came at a crucial stage after she had guided the innings into a competitive position.
Paige Scholfield added eight runs before falling to Beaumont, while Aylish Cranstone managed only four before being dismissed by Knott. However, Laura Harris injected late momentum into the innings with a quickfire 26 from just 18 balls, including two fours and two sixes. Her attacking approach helped Surrey cross the 250-run mark. Kalea Moore added five runs, while Danielle Gregory remained unbeaten on one as Surrey finished on 252 for 9.
The Blaze Women’s bowlers shared the workload effectively. Grace Ballinger was the standout performer with figures of 3 wickets for 49 runs from 9 overs, while Charley Phillips claimed 1 for 41 from 10 overs. Maria Andrews also scalped 3 wickets, conceding 40 runs off her 10. Emma Jones picked up 1 for 32, Charli Knott took 1 for 28, and Georgia Elwiss delivered an economical spell of 6 overs for 28 runs without a wicket.
Chasing 253, The Blaze Women lost Tammy Beaumont early for just one run, dismissed by MacDonald-Gay, but Marie Kelly and Charli Knott rebuilt the innings. Kelly played a captain’s innings, scoring 69 from 93 balls with seven boundaries. Knott provided aggressive support, scoring 26 from 31 balls with three fours and a six before being dismissed by Monaghan.
The Blaze then found stability through Georgia Elwiss and Kelly. After Kelly’s dismissal, Elwiss took control of the chase with a match-winning 96 off 102 balls, smashing nine fours. Her partnership with Prisha Thanawala proved decisive as they kept the scoreboard moving and maintained the required run rate. Emma Jones contributed six runs before being dismissed by Davidson-Richards, but Elwiss continued to guide the chase.
Elwiss was eventually dismissed for a brilliant 96, caught by MacDonald-Gay off Davidson-Richards, but by then The Blaze were firmly in control. Thanawala remained unbeaten on 30 from 41 balls, while Ella Claridge finished not out without facing a delivery as The Blaze completed the chase at 253 for 5 in 48.2 overs.
Surrey Women’s bowling attack saw Izzy Sidhu finish with 1 for 48 from 10 overs, while Ryana MacDonald-Gay claimed 1 for 43. Alice Monaghan took 1 for 43, Kalea Moore impressed with 1 for 50, and Alice Davidson-Richards was the most successful bowler with 2 for 22 from five overs. Danielle Gregory also bowled economically, taking 44 runs in 9.2 overs while maintaining pressure.
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