The Blaze 252/6 (S Bryce 68, K Bryce 63) beat Somerset 169 (Wellington 53, McCarthy 3-12) by 44 runs (DLS)
The Blaze secured a commanding 44-run victory against Somerset in a rain-shortened Metro Bank One Day Cup clash at Taunton Vale Sports Ground, thanks to half-centuries from sisters Sarah and Kathryn Bryce. The win was awarded via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method and cemented Blaze’s position among the top three teams.
Sarah Bryce Sets the Tone
Sarah Bryce top-scored with 68 off 54 balls, hitting 12 fours, and shared an explosive 76-run opening stand with Georgie Boyce in just 10 overs. The Blaze finished 252 for 6 in a contest reduced to 33 overs per side. Kathryn Bryce then followed with a composed 63 not out from 60 balls, putting on a 72-run partnership with Orla Prendergast, who contributed 46 runs. Somerset’s Charlie Dean fought back with 3 wickets for 50 runs, but her efforts were not enough to turn the tide.
“𝑺𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒉 𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚, 𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑲𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒚𝒏’𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒎 𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒖𝒎,” 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒛𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅.
McCarthy Strikes Early to Shake Somerset
Chasing a revised target of 214 in 26 overs, Somerset stumbled immediately. Cassidy McCarthy took three wickets in a fiery eight-ball spell, reducing Somerset to 9 for 4 in the powerplay. Amanda-Jade Wellington resisted with a quick 53 off 28 balls, and Fran Wilson added 33, but Somerset ultimately fell short, finishing at 169 all out in 22.2 overs.
The Bryce sisters’ partnerships and Prendergast’s aggressive hitting kept The Blaze ahead despite the interruption of rain. McCarthy’s devastating spell early on crushed Somerset’s hopes, with wickets of Sophie Luff and Dani Gibson sealing the victory.
“𝑴𝒄𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒚’𝒔 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆, 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚,” 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝑲𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒚𝒏 𝑩𝒓𝒚𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉.
Blaze Strengthens Playoff Hopes
The victory not only gives The Blaze their bonus point but also significantly boosts their chances of reaching the final stages of the 50-over competition. Meanwhile, Somerset’s defeat means they are now mathematically out of contention with two games remaining.
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