The Blaze v South-East Stars
Derby, Saturday 22 June
The semi-final winners proved to be last year’s runners-up, Blaze, and previous winners, SES.
Kirstie Gordon won the toss, and, to underline the predictability of the format, chose to bowl first.
Bryony Smith pulled Grace Ballinger’s first ball for four. Eighteen more runs followed from the over, including 5 wides down the leg-side. That proved to be the largest total ever off an opening over in the tournament. A poor predictor of future events.
With her second ball – the first was smashed for four too – Kirstie Gordon trapped Smith lbw, as she missed an unwise sweep. Once more Smith had got out all too early after a positive start.
Phoebe Franklin was asked to bat No 3, but that proved a doubtful choice. As Gordon and Kathryn Bryce moved the ball into her, her instinct was to move to leg, which cramped her and prevented the option of easier runs to leg. Her first five runs took thirteen deliveries. She then cut Heather Graham for four, only to miss the next ball which was straight.
The powerplay brought 46 for the loss of Smith and Franklin.
For decades Derby pitches were known as a graveyard for finger-spinners, but now Lucy Higham got one ball to turn in sharply. Perhaps it was the effect of three games on one pitch in one day. The authorities will be weighing up the advantages of the new finals day, all four semi-finalists allowed to take part. It puts the ground-staff to the test.
The 50 came up with Josie Groves’ first delivery, a fierce cover drive from Dunkley. The leg- spinner, taking on the absent Sarah Glenn’s role, had an immediate reward. She enticed Dunkley down the track and Sarah Bryce removed a bail. In the ninth over Groves repeated her trick. That was the dangerous Paige Scholfield leaving the stage.
Halfway through, Stars had mounted only 73 for the loss of four. But if the pitch really was breaking up, that might yet prove sufficient.
Georgia Redmayne top-scored with 25, but in an inings full of flicks and deflections, not blasts into Row Z. Emma Jones’ brief was to hit the ball hard and often. She succeeded to the extent of 18 off 15.
Stars had a test centurion coming in at 7. ADR nearly decapitated Rob White with a straight drive for four. He rapidly regained his dignity. It was all action: next ball a square-cut for 4, then a dropped catch at long-off for 2. Next ball Marie Kelly safely pocketed a similar shot in the same direction; this time she didn’t have to dive. (ADR 21 off 11). Groves finished with 3-33 off her four overs. Would they be the tipping point?
The tail wagged like a Manx cat: 134-7 off 17.2 when Redmayne was dismissed. Seven more runs were added in the remaining 16 balls.
But then, they had to face the miserly Gordon, who completed the campaign with a record 22 wickets.
The Reply
Tilly Corteen-Coleman worked her magic from the start. A ball slid off an inside-edge past the leg- stump, then Phoebe Franklin couldn’t hold a catch in the deep as she sprawled on the ground.
Tammy Beaumont fell to one of cricket’s cruellest blows, run-out via a deflection by the bowler, Tash Farrant, (an old county mate of hers) on to the bowler’s stumps. It looked as though Farrant guided the ball deliberately, a very rare occurrence.
Ryana Macdonald-Gay proved expensive. She offered a leg-side wide first ball for the second time in the day. Kathryn Bryce, now indisputably the player of the tournament, dealt ruthlessly with her. Even an edge missed a fielder to go for four.
When Bryony Smith brought herself on – still a rare event this season – she took another wicket at once, having Marie Kelly caught in the covers. Once more it was left to Scotland to show England how to play. Sister Sarah (52*/46) joined Bryce to add a calm 79 in 10.3 overs. Dani Gregory finally bowled Kathryn round the legs, but not before she reached her fifth 50 of the campaign, (62/45)
Corteen-Coleman once again bowled with a maturity beyond her years. In her last over, she went for three singles, including a possible low catch dropped at short-third. But the match had long slipped from the Stars’ grip.
As the blazing sun dipped to tree-level, Blaze won at a canter.
Scores
SE Stars:141-9
The Blaze: 144-3 (18.4 overs) The Blaze won by seven wickets
Teams:
The Blaze: Kirstie Gordon (captain), Marie Kelly, Tammy Beaumont, Kathryn Bryce, Sarah Bryce,
Heather Graham, Ella Claridge, Michaela Kirk, Josie Groves, Lucy Higham, Grace Ballinger
SES: Bryony Smith captain), Sophia Dunkley, Phoebe Franklin, Georgia Redmayne, Emma Jones, Paige Scholfield, Tash Farrant, Alice Davidson-Richards, Ryana Macdonald-Gay, Dani Gregory, Tilly Corteen-Coleman
Afterthoughts
Finals are always a case of what might have been. For the Stars, there are question-marks about pre-match and mid-match decisions. Alexa Stonehouse was omitted from the side. With RMG going for 29 of ten balls and Tash Farrant not contributing much with bat or ball, hindsight tells us that was a doubtful choice – unless she was injured. No news has escaped from the Oval.
Then the batting-order. Is it better for a team to be flexible, or for each player to know her precise role? Stars have followed the first option this season. Phoebe Franklin came in at 3, and looked out of touch with 10 off 16 balls. There may have been good reasons for delaying ADR’s appearance to No 7, but they weren’t obvious from the edge.
Of course, life becomes simpler for a team that knows one or two players are going to produce the goods every match. Their name is Bryce.
This first CE Cup win marked Blaze’s eighteenth win in the last 20 played.
