Former Bears duo haunt Warwickshire as Blaze continue perfect start

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The Blaze continued their unbeaten start to the Vitality Blast with a hard-fought four-wicket victory over Warwickshire, making it three wins from three matches.

After restricting the Bears to 158 for 8 with a disciplined bowling display, The Blaze chased down the target with four balls to spare thanks to key contributions from former Warwickshire players Marie Kelly and Grace Ballinger.

Warwickshire looked set for a much bigger total after openers Abigail Freeborn and Meg Austin added 95 runs in just over ten overs. Freeborn struck 56 from 45 balls while Austin hammered 44 off 31.

But the innings lost momentum dramatically once the breakthrough arrived. Grace Ballinger and Lucy Higham led the comeback as wickets began falling regularly, with the Bears managing only 64 runs in the final ten overs.

Ballinger, facing her former side, played a major role with the ball, while Charli Knott also made an impact in the field with three catches.

In reply, Marie Kelly gave The Blaze a flying start, smashing 45 from just 32 deliveries. Her aggressive approach immediately shifted pressure back onto the Bears.

Kelly and Knott added a crucial partnership after Tammy Beaumont fell early, putting the visitors firmly in control despite both batters surviving dropped chances.

Warwickshire fought back through Amu Surenkumar, who picked up two important wickets, but Emma Jones’ unbeaten 27 off 16 balls ensured The Blaze stayed calm in the closing stages.

The result leaves The Blaze flying high with three straight wins, while last season’s finalists Warwickshire remain rooted to the bottom after a difficult injury-hit start to the campaign.