Surrey & Blaze bounce back in Women's T20 Blast

Surrey and The Blaze returned to winning ways on Friday as the race for the Women's T20 Blast Finals Day heats up.

Leaders Surrey dealt a blow to Essex's hopes at The Oval with Jemima Spence making it back-to-back half-centuries in her first T20 campaign as the hosts chased down Essex's 145-6 with 14 balls to spare, despite a blistering unbeaten 85 from skipper Grace Scrivens.

Durham and The Blaze are three points behind Surrey, having played a game fewer, with Essex dropping out of the top four but still just six points off the top.

Durham lie second after a convincing 21-run victory over winless Yorkshire at Headingley with Heather Graham claiming 3-31 and there were two wickets apiece for Sophia Turner and Yorkshire-born leg-spinner Katie Levick as the hosts fell well short of Durham's 155-6.

The Blaze are third on run rate after eventually seeing-off winless Warwickshire Bears by 11 runs, despite a career-best 74 from opener Meg Austin in their reply to the hosts' 151-7 at Trent Bridge.

Spence completed consecutive Vitality Blast half-centuries as Surrey recovered from their first defeat of the campaign by overcoming Essex at the Oval.

The 19-year-old, who registered her maiden Blast 50 in a losing cause against Somerset last time out, backed it up with a bustling 52 from 31 balls, including nine fours, to steer her side towards victory.

That maintained the defending champions' position at the top of the table and denied Essex a third consecutive win despite an impressive 85 not out from 63 balls by skipper Scrivens, who, after losing the toss, hit 10 fours and a six and batted through her side's innings, during which Surrey off-spinner Kalea Moore took 2-19.

Essex coach Stephen Parry said: "For us to be three out of five, knowing we've got a really big game at home on Sunday to finish this block off is exciting for this group. It looks like we're going to be fighting for a finals place."

Durham's impressive start to the Blast continued with a convincing victory over struggling Yorkshire.

Bess Heath top-scored with 36 off 25 balls and Mia Rogers made a quickfire late 29 not out in the visitors' 155-6, despite good turns from England all-rounder Sarah Glenn and Scotland seamer Hannah Rainey on their returns from injury.

Levick impressed with 2-13 from four overs while the seam of Graham and Turner claimed three and two wickets respectively as the hosts limped to 89-6 in the 15th over before on-loan debutant Alice Clarke impressed with a consolatory 32, only to be bowled by Graham, who now has 12 wickets in the campaign.

Austin's 74 from 51 balls was not enough to deny The Blaze victory as the Trent Bridge side successfully defended 151-7 to pick up a fourth win in five matches and leave Bears waiting for their first win.

The 21-year-old opener struck seven fours and three sixes but with Georgia Redmayne's 22 the next highest score, they closed on 140-5 to lose by 11 runs.

Skipper Marie Kelly's 29 from 22 balls helped The Blaze put early runs on the board and Emma Jones provided some mid-innings impetus with 32 from 22.

Spinners Georgia Davis (3-24) and Hannah Baker (2-19) inflicted significant damage in between as the home side lost five wickets before Grace Ballinger (17 from 13) weighed in with extra runs at the death and then picked up 2-20 with the ball including the key wicket of Austin in the penultimate over.

Match report details supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network.