Bears & Blaze reach Women’s T20 Blast Finals Day

Davina Perrin hit 70 off 48 balls as the Bears made sure of joining Surrey at Women’s T20 Blast Finals Day with a 16-run win over Hampshire.

The 18-year-old struck nine fours as they posted 165-9, and despite 58 from Australia’s Ellyse Perry, the Hawks could only muster 149-6 in reply.

“We came into this as underdogs,” said Perrin. “We have a really young group, with veteran Laura Harris being the only anomaly.

“I did the average age of the squad the other day and it is 22. So to get to Finals Day with such a young squad is credit to our coaches, staff and team.”

Alice Monaghan made an unbeaten 57 off 32 balls as Surrey beat bottom side Somerset by 68 runs, but Lancashire’s hopes of progress to the knockout stage were ended by a two-wicket loss to Durham despite Emma Lamb’s 74.

Bears went into their game against Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl in second place, one point ahead of the Blaze and seven clear of Lancashire in fourth.

They were in trouble on 40-4 and later 92-7 as spinner Bex Tyson picked up 3-27 for the Hawks.

But Perrin kept her nerve, reaching 50 off 34 balls with a lofted drive and put on 52 with Georgia Davis (15) before she sliced a full toss from Perry (2-23) to mid-off and was caught.

Perry opened the batting for the hosts and reached her first Blast 50 from 36 balls in an opening stand of 75 with Rhianna Southby (29). But they were unable to stay with the required rate and scoring 63 off the final five overs was beyond them, despite Georgia Adams’ unbeaten 32.

The Blaze were not at their best with the bat after winning the toss against Essex, with sisters Sarah and Kathryn Bryce both falling to Abtaha Maqsood in the same over as they struggled to 51-4.

Heather Graham top scored with 33 and Sarah Glenn (17) and Lucy Higham (14) added 30 valuable runs before Eva Gray (4-18) took three wickets in four balls in the final over as they were all out for 139.

Essex lost Lauren Winfield-Hill, caught off Glenn for eight, and fell behind the asking rate despite 33 off 31 balls by Jodi Grewcock. It was Grewcock’s dismissal by Glenn (3-17) that triggered a collapse from 77-3 to 86-9 in which the home batters merely provided catching practice.

Kate Coppack and Maqsood prevented them being bowled out but they finished well short.

At Old Trafford, England batter Lamb continued her good form for Lancashire, hitting a six and eight fours in her 48-ball innings before being caught at mid-wicket off Sophia Turner (3-27). But no-one else reached 20 as they totalled 148-7.

Suzi Bates set Durham’s run-chase in motion with 33 off 22 balls before she was caught at short third man as she tried to swing Tara Norris into the leg-side, leaving her 10 runs short of 400 in the competition.

A spell of 3-24 by Australian spinner Alana King kept Lancashire in the game, but 43 off 23 balls by Bess Heath pushed Durham on towards their target. Although she was bowled by Darcey Carter in a slump from 139-5 to 143-8, the visitors squeezed past the target with four balls in hand.

Surrey did not have Danni Wyatt-Hodge in their side at The Oval and found themselves on 68-4 in the ninth over, with Alice Capsey among those dismissed, caught behind for 27 as she tried to sweep Chloe Skelton (2-20).

But Monaghan hit four sixes and added 89 with Emma Jones (34), having missed part of the season with a broken finger, as the home side set Somerset – who had won only one of their 11 previous matches – a tough target.

Chester LS: Durham v Surrey