Leaders Blaze edge past Hampshire in One-Day Cup

Metro Bank Women's One-Day Cup, Trent Bridge

Hampshire 209 (50 overs): Adams 89; Phillips 4-31

The Blaze 211-7 (45.1 overs): Beaumont 57; Tyson 3-52

The Blaze beat Hampshire by three wickets

The Blaze stretched their lead at the top of the table to nine points after overcoming second-placed Hampshire by three wickets in the One-Day Cup at Trent Bridge.

Chasing 210 to win, Tammy Beaumont top-scored with 57, backed up by Kathryn Bryce's 32 and Orla Prendergast's 28 before Emma Jones led her side across the line with an unbeaten 37 from 30 balls as The Blaze clinched a sixth consecutive win with 29 balls to spare.

Earlier, Hampshire skipper Georgia Adams had made 89, Ella McCaughan 48 and Francesca Sweet an unbeaten 35 but, with Blaze strike bowler Charley Phillips continuing a fine start to the season by taking 4-31, Hampshire fell away to 209 all out after opting to bat first.

Phillips, who has just turned 23 and is a seamer with real pace, raised her tally to 18 as the leading wicket-taker in the competition.

The Blaze lost Marie Kelly in the third over of the chase, bowled by a swinging delivery from Daisy Gibb. On a turning pitch. Beaumont and Kathryn Bryce added 59 before the latter missed an attempted paddle-scoop and was leg before for 32.

Beaumont and Georgia Elwiss, who had shared a partnership of 131 against Somerset on Wednesday, put on 51 this time before Elwiss was caught at slip off a top-edged paddle-sweep.

At 117-3 at the 25-over mark, The Blaze looked comfortable.

Beaumont, who made an unbeaten 99 in the win over Somerset, wasted an opportunity by looping a rank full toss from Bex Dyson straight to mid-off, before England left-arm spinner Linsey Smith bowled Sarah Bryce. When Prendergast was caught at extra cover, Smith claiming a second success, the outcome looked much less certain at 162-6.

Kirstie Gordon was bowled by Tyson for one with 36 still needed but Jones and Lucy Higham kept their nerve, Jones clinching the win with her fifth boundary.

Hampshire's innings suffered an early double setback as Phillips struck twice in her opening over, pinning Rhianna Southby in front and bowling Abi Norgrove off the pads, to leave the visitors 2-2.

It was the perfect start for The Blaze, yet Adams led an impressive recovery alongside McCaughan, the pair adding 116 in 29 overs.

Adams, who led Hampshire to a win over Yorkshire on Wednesday after returning from injury, picked up half a dozen boundaries in a 72-ball half century, ruthlessly putting away anything loose on the leg side in particular, but McCaughan fell two runs short of a second consecutive fifty, trapped on the crease by Elwiss.

Yet Hampshire will feel they should have made more of a good position. Naomi Dattani was run out, paying for her hesitation at the non-striker's end as Elwiss' throw from mid-off beat her comfortably, and Adams, after surviving a caught-and-bowled chance 88, perished in the same over, bowled swinging at Kathryn Bryce.

Sweet, who hit her first half-century for Hampshire earlier in the week, impressed again but the innings otherwise fell away rapidly, the end of Adams sparking the loss of their last six wickets for just 26.

Some excellent fielding by Jones and Kathryn Bryce respectively ran out Smith and Daisy Gibbs, Amanda Jade-Wellington holed out to wide long-on, and both Poppy Tulloch and Tyson were bowled.

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