The Blaze vs Durham Cricket (women) – league one, match 49 – at Trent Bridge on Tuesday 9 September 2025 10h30
Battling to keep semi-finals qualification chances alive, Durham Cricket women posted 250, with season’s best contribution from Mady Villiers [79 runs (from 88 balls)] who made top score; also with ‘fifty’ from Emily Windsor [54 from (75).] Later when bowling, Mady Villiers took 2 wickets/ conceding 49 runs. Best Blaze bowler was Georgia Elwiss – pictured who chalked-up her milestone 200 ‘List A’ wicket tally, now approaching the tail-end of her first season wearing ‘The Blaze.’ When batting for Blaze, Orla Prendergast made a match-winning 67(79), partnered by Kathryn Bryce 66(72.) Together their partnership added ‘fifty’ from 45 balls, giving at least twenty runs scoreboard advantage by mid-way 130/2 (vs 107/3.) Separately when batting, Georgia Elwiss closed undefeated, four runs short of ‘fifty,’ when scoring the winning ‘four’ to round-off a memorable Blaze win. Commentators: Polly Starkie (‘HerGameToo’ regional cricket champion & social media co-host ‘Noughtie Child Podcast’) & Ash Thorpe (Durham Cricket Academy.) Weather: breezy.
Durham Cricket women wearing diamond-patterned blue over black with yellow numbering and dark pads; *skipper Hollie Armitage, [Sarah Bryce keeping wicket for The Blaze] *Scotland international Katherine Fraser; *without international player Suzie Bates NZ or Lauren Filer; *Sent back by Mia Rogers, Emma Marlow slipped, became stranded in the ‘mix-up and threw her bat to no avail. *Immediately ‘run-out’ by (Orla Prendergast’s throw to Cassidy McCarthy receiving at the non-striker’s end; *Hollie Armitage was caught at ‘point’ (elsewhere ‘gulley’) by Ella Claridge, from Cassidy McCarthy; *After 10 overs ‘power-play’ 47/2; *Cursed by commentators for ‘building a partnership,’ Mia Rogers was caught at ‘cover’ (elsewhere ‘extra-cover’) by Georgia Elwiss, from Kathryn Bryce; *After 25 overs 107/3; *Mady Villiers was bowled ’top-of-middle’ by Kirstie Gordon; *Bess Heath was bowled by Georgia Elwiss’ slower ball, chalking-up Elwiss’ 200th wicket; *Advancing down-wicket, Emily Windsor was stumped by keeper Sarah Bryce, from Kirstie Gordon; *Mis-timing a ‘sweep,’ Phoebe Turner went ‘leg-before’ to Georgia Elwiss; *Katherine Fraser was caught aerial at ‘backward-point’ by Orla Prendergast, from Grace Ballinger; *Mis-timing a ‘sweep,’ Grace Thompson was bowled by Kathryn Bryce’s slower ball; Durham Cricket (women) batting: Mady Villiers 79(88), Emily Windsor 54(75), Mia Rogers 25(42), Katherine Fraser 21(13), Bess Heath 15(26), Phoebe Turner 13(13), Hollie Armitage 11(16); Blaze (women) bowling: Georgia Elwiss 2/34, Kathryn Bryce 2/44, Kirstie Gordon 2/46, Cassidy McCarthy 1/40, Grace Ballinger 1/44;
Blaze women wearing orange with vertical ‘paper tiger’ stripes over black, plus leg-joggers with half-white stripes and gold numbers; *skipper Kirstie Gordon *[Bess Heath keeping wicket for Durham Cricket]; *International player Orla Prendergast (Republic of Ireland) *with Scotland Internationals Kathryn & Sarah Bryce; *Wrong-footed, Georgie Boyce was bowled ‘off-her-pads’ by Katie Levick’s full-length ball; *Level-pegging after 10 overs ‘power-play’ 47/1 (vs 47/2); *Sarah Bryce ‘snicked-an-edge,’ caught behind by fellow keeper Bess Heath from Phoebe Turner; *After 25 overs 130/2 (vs 107/3); *Mis-timing a ‘cut,’ Kathryn Bryce was bowled by Katie Levick; *Orla Prendergast was caught at ‘deep mid-wicket’ by substitute fielder (Abi Glen), from Mady Villiers;*Mis-timing a ‘sweep,’ Michaela Kirk was caught behind from a thin-edge by keeper Bess Heath, from Mady Villiers; *’Sweeping ‘across-the-line’ Ella Claridge was bowled by Katherine Fraser; Blaze (women) batting: Orla Prendergast67(79), Kathryn Bryce 66(72),Georgia Elwiss46*not out(45), Georgie Boyce16(24), Sarah Bryce15(29), Michaela Kirk12(10); Durham Cricket (women) bowling: Katie Levick 2/48, Mady Villiers 2/49, Katherine Fraser 1/42, Phoebe Turner 1/42;
Match result: The Blaze (women) 256/6 (@5.3 runs-per-over from 47.3/50 overs, target 253 from 50 overs); beat Durham Cricket (women) 252/9 by four wickets (@5 runs-per-over from 50/50 overs) with 15 balls remaining;
*Scorecard with video highlights, courtesy of ECB via nv play at url: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#m5f26530f-1868-4f38-b325-e868490fe473
*BBC Sport @url: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/e-225568 & SKY Sports@url: https://www.skysports.com/cricket/the-blaze-v-durham-women/scorecard/257f2f2c-6868-5b8d-9cb2-7253327e5c4f
*Full match free-to-air, courtesy of The Blaze (nv play) via YouTube [06h50m32s] @url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTFMw6c2yqg
*Upcoming League one fixtures @url http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/05/22/metro-bank-league-one-fixtures-and-results-up-to-may-2025/
*Upcoming League two fixtures @url hhttp://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/05/25/metro-bank-league-two-fixtures-and-results-up-to-may-2025/
