Harris inspires Bears win, Blaze beat Essex
Australian Laura Harris produced another powerful batting display as the Bears beat Somerset by 69 runs at Edgbaston to move to the top of the Women's T20 Blast group table.Harris raced to 50 off 17 deliveries against Durham last month and was only two balls slower this time as her 77 helped the home side to a score of 172-9.Somerset had Emma Corney taken off on a stretcher with a leg injury during the Bears innings, and she was unable to bat as they replied with 103-9, skipper Georgia Davis taking 3-12 and Millie Taylor 3-13 for the hosts. At Derby, The Blaze climbed to second with a seven-wicket win over Essex, who were bowled out for 104 before Kathryn Bryce saw her side home with an unbeaten 51 off 51 balls.Match scorecards
The Bears made a poor start after being put in by Somerset skipper Sophie Luff, losing Abi Freeborn and Issy Wong in the second over, and Davina Perrin in the fourth, with Mollie Robbins taking all three wickets.They struggled to 73-5 at the halfway point of their innings but the visitors then lost Corney, who twisted her leg awkwardly while fielding.Sterre Kalis helped Harris add 44 for the sixth wicket before she was unluckily run out for 32 when Amanda-Jane Wellington deflected a straight drive by her partner into the stumps at the bowler's end.Harris, though, hit fours sixes and nine fours in her exhilarating 34-ball knock which came to an end when she was run out attempting a second run from the final ball of the innings.
The Somerset run chase never really got going as Davis had Amelie Munday stumped for 19 and added the vital wicket of Fran Wilson, who gave a catch to mid-off after making 31 from 32 balls.Luff was the only other batter to reach double figures but had only made 13 when she gave a return catch to Hannah Baker.Davis also removed Griffiths as Somerset slumped from 82-3 to 98-8 and pace bowler Wong finished the visitors off when Hannah Jones was caught at long-on at the start of the final over.
In the day's other game, a brilliant piece of fielding by The Blaze's Ella Claridge provided the early highlight as she dived full length at gully to make a one-handed save and then ran out Lissy MacLeod who had been called for a single by Grace Scrivens.Essex only reached 50 in the 12th over but Maddie Penna (17), Jo Gardner (22) and Sophia Smale (16) helped them reach three figures before Kate Coppack and Abtaha Maqsood were run out from the final two balls of their innings.Georgia Elwiss was caught behind off Coppack for a duck at the start of The Blaze's reply, and Esmae MacGregor (2-28) added the wickets of Marie Kelly and Sarah Bryce.But Kathryn Bryce - who had earlier taken 2-11 in Essex's innings - took her side home in style off the first ball of the 15th over by hitting left-arm spinner Smale for a straight six to end the game and bring up her own half-century off 51 balls.
Saturday fixtures
Old Trafford: Lancashire Thunder v Surrey (13:00 BST start)Arundel: Hampshire Hawks v Durham (14:30)Trent Bridge: The Blaze v Somerset (15:00)
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