Women’s One-Day Cup: Blaze beat Essex to reach final

After The Blaze had elected to bowl first, Essex’s 19-year-old opener Bryony Gilgrass played some pleasing shots as she and Scrivens sought to profit in the powerplay, before McCarthy skidded one through to trap her in front.

The seamer then picked up a second wicket quickly when Jodi Grewcock cut straight to backward point.

Smale despatched McCarthy for back-to-back boundaries but was leg before on the back foot to Higham, the off-spinner following it up having Jo Gardner caught off a top edge into the leg side.

Having been 80-2, Essex slipped further to 89-6 as left-arm spinner Gordon had Mollie Adams, another 19-year-old, leg before playing back and Kathryn Bryce entered the attack to bowl Liberty Heap.

Sophie Munro supported Scrivens in a 41-run partnership but their good work was undone when an aborted run on a misfield ended with Munro run out.

Scotland international Gordon held a diving return catch to remove Esmae MacGregor before Scriven’s 116-ball effort ended with a bottom-edge into the stumps.

Kathryn Bryce wrapped up the Essex innings in the 46th over as Abtaha Maqsood holed out to long-on.

In reply, The Blaze suffered an early setback when MacGregor produced one excellent delivery in an otherwise untidy opening spell, bowling former England international Tammy Beaumont with one that came back to clip the top of off stump.

But that was the only glimmer of optimism for the visitors as the Scotland international pair were ruthless in their punishment of some fairly ordinary bowling.

Sarah Bryce hammered 10 fours, Kathryn 12 fours and a six, including the winning boundary with a massive 185 balls to spare.

ECB Reporters’ Network supported by Rothesay.