The Blaze face anxious wait after slipping to Sparks defeat

The Blaze face an anxious 24 hours to learn if their dream of landing the domestic double in women’s regional cricket remains alive after slipping to a five-wicket defeat against Central Sparks in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Chesterfield.

The result leaves the Charlotte Edwards Cup holders fourth in the table with one hand on a semi-final place but just a one-point advantage over fifth-placed Sunrisers, who complete their 14-match league programme on Saturday. Sunrisers travel to Southern Vipers, who are the defending champions but have lost their last three.

On a track that yielded runs only sparingly, The Blaze were restricted to 166 after being asked to bat first. Michaela Kirk top-scored with a season-best 36, backed up by Kathryn Bryce’s 33, sharing a 63-run partnership for the second wicket.

Seamer Grace Potts led the Sparks’ bowling effort with a List A-best 3 for 38 with Charis Pavely, Emily Arlott and Hannah Hardwick taking two wickets each, before Katie George anchored their winning reply with an unbeaten 57 off 90 balls, with five fours.

The Blaze, missing Ireland allrounder Orla Prendergast because of the white-ball series against England which also deprived the Sparks of leading wicket-taker Hannah Baker, quickly lost Sarah Bryce, caught at point in Potts’ opening over, but recovered to 68 for 1 in the 13th over.

Alongside Kirk, the in-from Bryce added 63 in 11.1 overs, but a double setback saw her and new batter Marie Kelly out within the space of five balls, both bowled. Left-arm spinner Pavely, who will join England for the T20 matches against Ireland, dismissed Bryce and seamer Arlott removed Kelly without scoring. Bryce hit five boundaries, as did Kirk, but the latter was leg-before when Potts returned in the 20th over.

Teresa Graves lifted Hardwick for a boundary down the ground but was bowled shortly afterwards as the 20-year-old seamer celebrated her maiden List A wicket on her second Sparks appearance, following it up immediately by bowling Lucy Higham first ball.

From 103 for 6 at the halfway point, The Blaze – last year’s runners-up – struggled to find any momentum, with only two boundaries thereafter. Ella Claridge (19) and skipper Kirstie Gordon (22) painstakingly added 37 for the seventh wicket in 11 overs before offspinner Ria Fackrell turned one to bowl the former, Gordon then dragging on to Arlott.

Grace Ballinger and Josie Groves eked out another 20 for the ninth wicket before Groves and Cassidy McCarthy succumbed in search of boundaries.

Needing 3.34 runs per over, Sparks opener Ami Campbell blasted three boundaries in Bryce’s opening over and another two in her second but was almost immediately caught at cover when offspinner Higham took over.

From 28 without loss in five overs Sparks were 43 for 3 in the 10th after left-arm seamer Ballinger bowled Davina Perrin and left-arm spinner Gordon trapped Meg Austin in front for her 18th wicket of the season.

Gordon and Bryce restricted Sparks to just 14 in the next five overs but after Abbey Freeborn had chopped on to be bowled by Bryce, George and Chloe Brewer upped the tempo. The visitors were 110 for four after 25 overs, needing another 57.

Brewer was leg-before to Gordon for 22 after the pair had added 55. The Blaze bowlers gave away few easy runs – Bryce ending her 10 overs with two consecutive maidens – but with only a little more than two per over needed, George and Pavely had no need to take risks and their unbroken 53-run stand finished the job with 52 balls to spare, George completing her half-century and then winning the match with back-to-back boundaries.

The result meant that the Birmingham-based team marked their last appearance as Central Sparks with a win. Trent Bridge-based The Blaze will retain their current identity, but as domestic women’s cricket undergoes another overhaul next season, the Sparks will play as Warwickshire in 50-over cricket and Birmingham Bears in T20.