The Blaze Women produced a dominant performance against Essex Women in the Women’s T20 Blast 2026 at County Ground, Chelmsford, chasing down a competitive target with ease to register a convincing nine-wicket victory. After restricting Essex to 136/9 in their allotted 20 overs, The Blaze chased the target in just 15.5 overs, finishing on 137/1 with 25 balls remaining. A composed batting display from captain Marie Kelly and Charli Knott ensured that The Blaze Women maintained complete control throughout the run chase.
Earlier in the match, The Blaze Women won the toss and elected to field first, putting the pressure on Essex Women’s batting unit from the very beginning. Essex’s innings struggled to gain momentum as they lost wickets at regular intervals despite a few useful contributions. Bryony Gillgrass and Alice Macleod opened the innings but could add only 15 runs before Macleod was dismissed for 1 off 2 balls by Charli Knott, with Georgia Elwiss taking the catch. Gillgrass followed soon after, scoring 8 off 9 deliveries, leaving Essex under early pressure at 15/2.
Anneke Bosch attempted to rebuild the innings with a quick 21 off 16 balls, including four boundaries, but her stay was cut short when Georgia Elwiss dismissed her. Joanne Gardner also failed to settle, falling for 5 off 8 balls as Essex slipped further. The innings then found some stability through Liberty Heap and Amelie Bishop, who added a valuable partnership to push the score forward. Heap played the attacking role, scoring a well-made 46 off 31 balls with six fours, while Bishop contributed 20 off 26 deliveries. Their partnership helped Essex recover, but The Blaze bowlers continued to strike at crucial moments.
Liberty Heap was dismissed by Lucy Higham after bringing Essex back into contention, while Bishop fell to Hingham as well, leaving the hosts at 97/5. Ariana Dowse scored 8 off 15 balls before being dismissed by Georgia Elwiss, while Sophie Munro added a quick 9 off 7 deliveries. Captain Eva Gray contributed 5 off 4 balls before falling, and Kate Coppack remained unbeaten on 1. Esmae MacGregor finished unbeaten on 2 as Essex Women closed their innings at 136/9.
For The Blaze Women, the bowling attack remained disciplined throughout the innings. Georgia Elwiss was the standout performer with 2 wickets for 30 runs from her four overs, while Lucy Higham also claimed two wickets, conceding 24 runs in her four-over spell. Maria Andrews picked up one wicket for 20 runs, Charli Knott impressed with 2 wickets for 24 runs, and Emma Jones and Josie Groves chipped in with economical spells. The collective effort restricted Essex from posting a bigger total.
Chasing 137, The Blaze Women began confidently with Marie Kelly and Tammy Beaumont forming a strong opening partnership. The pair attacked the Essex bowlers early, adding 42 runs before Beaumont was dismissed for 21 off 17 balls by Esmae MacGregor. However, the early wicket did little to slow down the chase as Kelly continued her excellent innings.
Marie Kelly anchored the innings brilliantly, remaining unbeaten with a match-winning 55 off 44 balls. Her innings included eight boundaries and provided the perfect foundation for the successful chase. She was joined by Charli Knott, who delivered a sensational unbeaten knock of 54 off just 35 balls. Knott’s aggressive stroke play, featuring seven fours and one six, completely shifted the momentum in favour of The Blaze Women.
The unbeaten partnership between Kelly and Knott guided The Blaze from a comfortable position to a commanding finish. Their 95-run stand ensured there were no further setbacks, and The Blaze Women reached 137/1 in only 15.5 overs to secure a nine-wicket win.
Essex Women’s bowlers struggled to contain the chase despite their efforts. Esmae MacGregor was the only successful bowler, taking the wicket of Tammy Beaumont while conceding 29 runs in three overs. Sophie Munro bowled 2.5 overs for 27 runs, Kate Coppack gave away 20 runs in three overs, Eva Gray conceded 22 runs while picking up no wickets, and Bryony Gillgrass, Anneke Bosch and Joanne Gardner also failed to break the partnership.
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