Bryce Sisters Shine as The Blaze Beat Essex by Nine Wickets to Reach Women’s One-Day Cup Final

The Blaze Women’s One-Day Cup campaign reached another major milestone as the Nottinghamshire-based side crushed Essex by nine wickets at Chesterfield to reclaim top spot and secure direct qualification for the Metro Bank Women’s One-Day Cup final.

Essex were bowled out for only 159 in 45.4 overs after being put into bat, with captain Grace Scrivens providing the main resistance through a patient 70. The Blaze skipper Kirstie Gordon led an excellent bowling performance with three wickets for 25 runs, while Kathryn Bryce, Lucy Higham and Cassidy McCarthy also made important contributions.

The chase was then transformed into a one-sided contest by sisters Sarah Bryce and Kathryn Bryce. After Tammy Beaumont was dismissed early, the Scotland internationals took complete control, adding an unbeaten 132-run partnership. Sarah finished on 70 not out, while Kathryn remained unbeaten on 67 as The Blaze reached 162 for 1 in only 19.1 overs.

The nine-wicket victory also delivered the bonus point required to finish top of the competition and avoid the eliminator route.

The Blaze regain top spot at the perfect moment

The result could hardly have arrived at a more important stage of the competition. The Blaze had temporarily lost their position at the top of the table after suffering defeat against Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl on Wednesday.

However, Hampshire had already completed their league fixtures, leaving The Blaze with a clear task against bottom-of-the-table Essex: avoid defeat and reclaim the advantage.

They went far beyond that requirement.

The nine-wicket win, combined with the bonus point, ensured that The Blaze finished at the top of the standings and progressed directly into the final. Instead of playing an additional eliminator, they earned a longer preparation period before the title match.

That advantage could become important given the team’s pursuit of a remarkable trophy treble.

Essex struggle after promising opening partnership

Essex’s innings began with some encouraging signs. Bryony Gilgrass, the 19-year-old opener, played several attractive shots during the powerplay while sharing the early workload with Scrivens.

But The Blaze’s bowlers gradually tightened their control.

Cassidy McCarthy produced the first breakthrough when she skidded the ball through Gilgrass and trapped her in front. McCarthy struck again soon afterwards when Jodi Grewcock cut directly to backward point.

Essex were then 80 for 2, but their innings quickly unravelled.

Sophie Smale briefly countered the pressure with consecutive boundaries against McCarthy, only to fall leg before wicket to Lucy Higham while attempting to play from the back foot. Higham immediately followed that wicket by removing Jo Gardner, who top-edged a delivery into the leg side.

The sequence triggered a dramatic collapse.

Gordon and Kathryn Bryce expose Essex’s middle-order problems

From 80 for 2, Essex slipped to 89 for 6.

Kirstie Gordon made a major contribution to the collapse when she dismissed Mollie Adams, another teenage Essex batter, leg before wicket after the batter played back to the delivery.

Kathryn Bryce then joined the attack and quickly made an impact by removing Liberty Heap.

The pressure created by the bowlers meant that Essex could not build a substantial partnership around Scrivens. Their captain remained at the crease and attempted to stabilise the innings, but support was difficult to find.

Sophie Munro eventually joined Scrivens and the pair added 41 runs, giving Essex a chance of reaching a more competitive total.

That partnership ended in unfortunate circumstances when an attempted run following a misfield turned into a run-out.

The Blaze continued to close out the innings efficiently. Gordon held a diving return catch to dismiss Esmae MacGregor, while Scrivens’ 116-ball innings ended when she bottom-edged the ball onto her stumps.

Kathryn Bryce completed the innings by dismissing Abtaha Maqsood, who holed out to long-on.

Grace Scrivens stands alone for Essex

Scrivens’ 70 was easily the most substantial contribution in Essex’s innings.

The Essex captain played the role of anchor while wickets fell regularly around her. Her 116-ball stay provided stability, but the lack of another significant score meant Essex could not convert that foundation into a defendable total.

The final total of 159 was always likely to be vulnerable against a Blaze batting lineup containing several experienced players. The hosts needed early wickets to have any realistic chance of defending it.

Tammy Beaumont gives Essex an early glimpse of hope

For a brief moment, Essex appeared capable of making the chase more complicated.

Former England international Tammy Beaumont opened for The Blaze but was dismissed early by Esmae MacGregor. MacGregor produced an excellent delivery during an otherwise inconsistent opening spell, getting the ball to come back into Beaumont and clip the top of off stump.

That wicket reduced The Blaze to a potentially uncomfortable position and gave Essex a reason to believe they could defend their modest total.

But it proved to be their only major success with the ball.

Sarah Bryce and Kathryn Bryce immediately shifted the pressure back onto the Essex attack.

Sarah and Kathryn Bryce produce a stunning chase

The Bryce sisters were ruthless once they settled at the crease.

Sarah Bryce struck 10 fours during her unbeaten 70, while Kathryn added 12 fours and a six in her unbeaten 67.

The pair’s partnership was not simply about surviving. They attacked loose deliveries and consistently found the boundary, ensuring that the required run rate became irrelevant almost immediately.

What made the performance particularly impressive was the speed of the chase.

The Blaze needed only 19.1 overs to reach 162 for 1. They therefore had 185 balls remaining when the winning boundary was struck.

Kathryn Bryce finished the contest in emphatic style, hitting the winning boundary to complete one of the most comfortable victories of the competition.

The Bryce sisters prove decisive with bat and ball

The victory was particularly fitting because both sisters contributed to the result.

Kathryn Bryce had already taken two wickets during Essex’s innings before becoming one of the dominant batters in the chase. Sarah then joined her to complete the match-winning partnership.

Their combined performance demonstrated the value of having players capable of influencing a match in different phases.

For The Blaze, that balance has been one of the major reasons behind their successful campaign. The team does not need one individual to win every match; instead, different players have been able to step forward depending on the circumstances.

Against Essex, the bowling unit created the platform and the Bryce sisters finished the job.

Kirstie Gordon leads a disciplined bowling attack

The Blaze’s bowling performance deserves as much attention as the batting display.

Kirstie Gordon finished with 3 for 25 and played a central role in preventing Essex from building momentum. Her spell combined wicket-taking with control, while the other bowlers consistently attacked the stumps and forced Essex batters into difficult decisions.

McCarthy also played a crucial role at the beginning of the innings by removing Gilgrass and Grewcock. Higham then contributed two wickets, while Kathryn Bryce added two more.

The collective figures explain why Essex never managed to establish a dominant batting partnership.

• Kirstie Gordon: 3 wickets for 25 runs
• Kathryn Bryce: 2 wickets
• Lucy Higham: 2 wickets
• Cassidy McCarthy: 2 wickets

That variety also meant Essex could not simply wait for one bowler to finish before attacking another. The pressure continued across different spells.

Why Essex’s 159 was never enough

Essex’s total of 159 was undermined by the collapse from 80 for 2 to 89 for 6.

The problem was not simply losing wickets. The collapse removed the batters who could have accelerated alongside Scrivens during the second half of the innings.

Scrivens eventually reached 70, but by the time she was dismissed the damage had already been done. The lower order could only push the total to 159.

Against a strong batting lineup, that left almost no margin for error.

The Blaze needed only 32 overs to spare, meaning the result was effectively decided before the halfway point of the chase.

Direct final qualification gives The Blaze a major advantage

The biggest reward from the result is not simply the nine-wicket victory. The Blaze have secured the top position and therefore progressed directly to the final.

Hampshire will now face the winner of Saturday’s match between Surrey Women and Somerset in an eliminator next Wednesday.

The winner of that eliminator will then face The Blaze in the Metro Bank Women’s One-Day Cup final at the Utilita Bowl on September 19.

The Blaze therefore have the luxury of waiting for their final opponent while their rivals must win an additional knockout match to reach the title decider.

The Blaze are chasing a remarkable treble

The final qualification comes during an already successful season for The Blaze.

The team have previously lifted silverware in the Blast and the Vitality T20 County Cup. Winning the Metro Bank Women’s One-Day Cup would complete a treble across major domestic competitions.

That possibility adds another layer of importance to the September 19 final.

Their route to the final has also demonstrated considerable adaptability. Their ability to dominate with both bat and ball means they are not dependent on one particular match scenario.

The victory over Essex was perhaps the clearest example. Gordon and the bowling attack reduced the opposition to 159, after which Sarah and Kathryn Bryce made the chase almost effortless.

What The Blaze’s performance says ahead of the final

The most encouraging aspect for The Blaze will be the balance between their bowling and batting units.

They dismissed Essex for 159 despite Scrivens making 70. Then, after losing Beaumont early, they showed no sign of panic and chased the target with 185 balls remaining.

That response is important in knockout cricket. Teams can face early setbacks in a final, but the ability to recover quickly often determines whether pressure becomes a problem.

The Blaze have now demonstrated that they can handle both sides of that equation.

Their direct passage to the final also means they can prepare specifically for whichever opponent emerges from the eliminator.

Final Verdict

The Blaze delivered a near-perfect performance against Essex, winning by nine wickets and securing top spot in the Metro Bank Women’s One-Day Cup table.

Essex briefly looked capable of producing a competitive total through Grace Scrivens, but her 70 lacked sufficient support. The Blaze’s bowlers, led by Kirstie Gordon’s 3 for 25, repeatedly struck to restrict Essex to 159.

The chase then belonged entirely to the Bryce sisters. Sarah Bryce’s unbeaten 70 and Kathryn Bryce’s unbeaten 67 produced a 132-run partnership that took The Blaze to 162 for 1 in just 19.1 overs.

With 185 balls remaining, the result underlined the gulf between the two sides on the day. More importantly, the bonus-point victory restored The Blaze to the top of the table and booked their place directly in the September 19 final.

Having already secured two pieces of silverware this season, The Blaze now stand one victory away from completing a domestic treble. Their dominant win over Essex suggests the team will enter the final with considerable confidence, while their next opponent must first survive the eliminator route.