Cricket enthusiasts witnessed a high-scoring spectacle in match 4 of the Abu Dhabi Women’s T20 Counties Super, with batters from the teams putting on a dazzling display of stroke play under lights. As expected, bowlers found themselves in discomfort at the Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi.
The Blaze, coming into the game with 2 points from their inaugural win continued their positive run, posting an imposing total that tested the Tasmania Women’s. With this win, The Blaze are now the table-toppers while the Tasmania Women, who had started their campaign on a high with a victory over Yorkshire Women, endured their first setback, courtesy of a batting line-up that failed to keep their composure intact under pressure.
Tasmania Women won the toss and elected to bowl first, inserting the opponents to bat fresh under lights. Openers Marie Kelly and Sarah Bryce launched a blistering start with a run rate of 10, putting the bowlers under immediate pressure. The first breakthrough came in the fourth over when skipper Kelly was dismissed by Ruth Johnston, but it turned out to be the sole reason of happiness for the overs to come during the first innings.
The dominant force of the Bryce sisters, Sarah and Kathryn, dismantled the opposition attack with a commanding 67-run stand. Sarah Bryce was particularly ruthless, taking the bowlers to the cleaners on her way to a fantabulous 57-ball century, glittered with 13 boundaries and four maximums, before retiring out. 23 Extras further added to Tasmania’s misery, with The Blaze finishing on 185/7. It was a tough outing for the Tasmania bowlers, as three of them leaked runs at an economy of over nine, struggling to contain the onslaught.
Pursuing a formidable target of 186, Tasmania Women were dealt an early jolt when opener Rachel Trenaman was dismissed for a two-ball duck. Nicola Carey displayed intent through a 16-ball 27 quickfire, but the actual fightback was shouldered by skipper Elyse Villani, who single-handedly kept her side in the hunt for the chase with a phenomenal knock.
Villani batted with aggression and firepower, hammering 89 off only 44 balls at a mind-boggling strike rate of 202.3, with 13 fours and three sixes. But she received little but no support from the other end, as wickets kept falling at frequent intervals. Hayley Silver-Holmes chipped in with a lively 25 off 15 balls cameo, but the game had tipped strongly in The Blaze’s favor.
The bowlers kept their nerves, and Kathryn Bryce returned with figures of 2/20 from 4 overs. In spite of a heroic performance by the skipper, Tasmania Women fell short, folding at 172/7 off their 20 overs, propelling The Blaze to the top of the tournament with the second win of the tournament.
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