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Rain frustrates Somerset against The Blaze
Somerset spinners Olivia Barnes and Chloe Skelton produced a standout performance with the ball, only for rain to bring a premature end to an intriguing Vitality Blast contest against The Blaze at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.
Barnes claimed three for 12 and Skelton three for 26 as The Blaze were bowled out for 138 in their 20 overs after being put in on a turning pitch. The visitors were indebted to Georgia Elwiss, who top-scored with 35, while Michaela Kirk and Lucy Higham hit 24 and 22 respectively at the death to hoist their side to a competitive total.
Thereafter, low cloud and persistent light rain moved in from the West, making further play beneath the Taunton floodlights impossible and leaving umpires Ian Blackwell and Surendiran Shanmugam no option but to abandon the game with only one innings completed.
Already qualified for Finals Day, The Blaze remain in second place behind Surrey, while Somerset continue to prop up the table with one win in 13 games. The teams were awarded two points apiece for a no-result.
Somerset skipper Sophie Luff won the toss, inserted The Blaze and looked on approvingly as Skelton made early in-roads. The off spinner had Marie Kelly held at mid-wicket in the first over and then accounted for the Kathryn Bryce, stumped by Bex Odgers for 14 with 36 on the board in the fifth.
Elwiss served notice that she was in good touch during a powerplay that yielded 43 runs, but East Midlands optimism sustained a further blow when Sarah Bryce, coming back for a second, was needlessly run out by Niamh Holland’s throw from the deep with the score 51 for three.
Attempts to build meaningful partnerships continued to fall flat for The Blaze, Skelton returning at the River End to induce Heather Graham to chip to mid-off for 12 as the visitors lurched to 72 for four in the 11th. Somerset’s spinners bowled a tight line, effectively cutting off the flow of boundaries as Elwiss and Ella Claridge came under intense pressure during the middle overs. That pressure told when Elwiss, having raised 35 from 34 balls, was bowled in the act of playing across the line to Ellie Anderson in the 15th.
Things went from bad to worse for The Blaze thereafter, Barnes claiming three wickets in four balls in an eventful 16th over to further reduce the visitors to 93 for eight. The slow left armer bowled Claridge for 12, had Josie Groves caught at cover point off the next ball and then persuaded Sarah Glenn to feather a catch behind as Somerset tightened their grip.
In urgent need of inspiration, the visitors were bolstered by the combative Kirk and Higham, these two launching a counter-attack that yielded 42 runs in the final three overs. Kirk hit Alex Griffiths for four consecutive boundaries on her way to a 17-ball 24, while Higham raised 22 from 12 deliveries at the death to haul The Blaze to a competitive score.
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