Durham Cricket women vs The Blaze at Chester-le-Street (Banks Homes Riverside) on Sunday 27 April 2025 (10h30)
Durham Cricket commentators were confident that their first thirty-six overs provided a good start. Century partnership between batters Hollie Armitage who played a skipper’s innings [81 runs (from 90 balls)] and Mady Villiers 45(75) were together said to be ‘cruising along.’ Commentator’s curse struck for the next six overs, when England spinner Sarah Glenn (3 wickets conceding 45 runs) paired with Josie Groves (2/12) took five wickets for 22 runs. That left the hosts with ‘much work to do.’ By comparison, Blaze delivered an ‘all-round’ performance, with Scots skipper Kathryn Bryce (pictured) making top-score for the winning team 54(57.) The visitors chalked-up their 200 after thirty-six overs and chased down their target just two balls later when Ella Claridge hit the winning ‘single.’ Commentators were former Durham cricketer Ashley ‘Ash’ Thorpe, (with detectable Australian accent) and Ben from ‘Park View Academy’s Cricket Development Centre,’ in partnership with Durham Cricket. Weather was grey, cool 13C.
Durham Cricket women wearing sheer diamond-patterned blue over black; *Skipper Hollie Armitage *[Amy Jones keeping wicket for The Blaze]; *International player Suzie Bates (NZ) with Katherine Fraser (Scotland); *Suzie Bates was caught at ‘deep mid-wicket’ by Sarah Glenn from Grace Ballinger; *After ten overs power-play 46/1; *Emma Marlow was bowled with bails sent flying by Orla Prendergast; *’Absolutely cruising’ by mid-way 106/2; *Mady Villiers was caught at ‘deep mid-wicket’ by Sarah Glenn from Josie Groves; *Attempting a paddle next over, Bess Heath was bowled through-the-gate by Sarah Glenn; *Taking a swipe, Hollie Armitage was bowled ‘off stump’ by Sarah Glenn; *Three balls later, Phoebe Turner was caught-and-bowled by diving Josie Groves; *Next over, Leah Dobson was bowled beneath her bat by Sarah Glenn; *Taking a swipe, Abi Glen was bowled by Kathryn Bryce; *Two balls later, Katherine Fraser was caught behind by Amy Jones from Grace Ballinger; *Finally, taking a swipe, Katie Levick was bowled by Kathryn Bryce; Durham Cricket batting: Hollie Armitage 81(90), Mady Villiers 45(75), Emma Marlow 27(39), Katherine Fraser 12(22); Blaze bowling: Sarah Glenn 3/45, Josie Groves 2/12, Kathryn Bryce 2/26, Grace Ballinger 2/36, Orla Prendergast 1/20;
The Blaze women wearing orange with vertical stripes over black with white stripes; *Stand-in Skipper Tammy Beaumont; *[Bess Heath keeping wicket for Durham] *International player Orla Prendergast (Rep. Of Ireland ROI), with Kathryn & Sarah Bryce (Scotland) without Georgie Boyce; *Amy Jones, was caught-and-bowled by Katherine Fraser’s dive to take the return catch; *After ten overs power-play, 55/1 (vs 46/1); *Tammy Beaumont top-edged aerial, caught ‘in the covers’ by Hollie Armitage, from Phoebe Turner; *Sarah Bryce was trapped plumb ’leg-before’ to Suzie Bates; *By mid-way, 143/3(vs 106/2); *Kathryn Bryce chipped to ‘covers,’ caught by Hollie Armitage from Phoebe Turner – a ‘carbon-copy’ of an earlier dismissal; *Georgia Elwiss played a ‘cameo’ until she snicked-an-edge to keeper Bess Heath, from Phoebe Turner; Blaze women batting: Kathryn Bryce 54(57), Amy Jones 35(35), Sarah Bryce 34(37),Tammy Beaumont 22(33), Georgia Elwiss 20(15), Orla Prendergast 16*not out(28) Ella Claridge 10*not out(19); Durham women bowling: Phoebe Turner 3/39, Katherine Fraser 1/39, Suzie Bates 1/15;
*Match result: The Blaze women 201/5 (@5.3 runs-per-over target 201 from 37.2/50 overs); beat Durham Cricket women 200/10 (@4.2 r-p-o, from 47.2/50 overs); by five wickets
*Scorecard with video highlights, courtesy of ECB via nv play at url: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#md6b566ff-15d7-4695-975d-c686def7e559 & Also BBC Sport at url: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/e-225521 & SKY Sports @url https://www.skysports.com/cricket/durham-women-v-the-blaze/scorecard/e791639a-b9aa-53e0-99dc-e08ee4597cdf
*Full match free-to-air, courtesy of Durham Cricket TV (nv play) via YouTube [06h34m39s] @url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW8cZtUCb54
*Upcoming League one fixtures @url: http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/03/04/metro-bank-league-one-fixtures-for-2025/
*Upcoming League two fixtures @url: http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/03/05/metro-bank-one-day-cup-league-two-fixtures-for-2025/
