Round 9 done, which means that all the teams have now played half their games (8) and the table looks like this.
The Blaze have clearly won the first half of the season with seven wins out of their eight games. They have not always looked convincing, particularly with the bat, but they have consistently managed to get over the line. Hampshire are a comfortable second, despite losing to The Blaze this week. They have managed to pick up five wins, as have Surrey in third. Warwickshire sneaked into fourth, having won half the games they have played. But from there on down all the teams have lost more games than they have won.
The big surprise is defending champions Lancashire are propping up the table. They have won just two games and are bottom of the table. They are going to struggle to reach the top three and even qualify for the final, which they won last year.
The next block of three rounds are in June, during the T20 World Cup. The Blaze, fortunately only play two games in this block. The last block of games are in August and September.
Here is what happened this week………….
The Blaze v Hampshire
Hampshire 209 lost to The Blaze 211/7 by 3 wickets
The top of the table clash went the way of The Blaze as Hampshire contrived to lose their last five wickets for just 26 runs to be bowled out for 209 in their last over. In truth their innings never really got going after Charley Phillips (4/31) removed Southby and Norgrove in the second over. McCaughan (48) and Adams (89) rebuilt, but slowly. When McCaughan was out in the 31st over Hampshire only had 118 on the board. Frances Sweet added a useful 35*, but, under pressure to find some runs, the lower order crumbled.
The Blaze seemed to have the run chase completely under control with Beaumont (57) hitting her second half century in as many innings, but when she gave her wicket away Hampshire had a glimmer of hope. When Bryce, Prendergast and Gordon all fell in quick succession that glimmer had become a bright glow. But Emma Jones (37*) rode her luck in her swashbuckling style accompanied by Lucy Higham (15*) and they brought the Blaze home.
Durham v Somerset
Durham 292/8 beat Somerset 172ao by 120 runs
Durham posted an imposing 292 thanks to half centuries from Hollie Armitage (58), Mia Rogers (56), and Bess Heath (51), which was always going to be a challenge for the young Somerset batting line up. When they have to face the experience and guile of 34 year old leg spinner Katie Levick there really is only one outcome. Theye were thoroughly bamboozled as Levick helped herself to 6/37 with three balls left in her spell and Somerset were bowled out in the 39th over.
Surrey v Lancashire
Lancashire 246/9 lost to Surrey 250/7 by 3 wickets
Eve Jones battled hard for her 69 off 105 balls, but her strike rate, always something of an issue, seems even more circumspect given that Lancashire’s batting, without Lewis and Lamb, looks so fragile. There were some late middle order runs from Johnson, Lister and Cross, but 246 at The Oval looked light.
Surrey raced after the required runs as they seem want to do, but lost wickets in the process. They were 92/4 after 16 overs, but Kira Chatli (88*) and Maitlan Brown (62*), who returns to Australia now, calmed things down and took Surrey to within touching distance of victory with a stand of 134. Surrey got over the line with four overs to spare.
It was Lancashire’s sixth defeat in eight games.
Yorkshire v Warwickshire
Yorkshire 238ao lost to Warwickshire 239/7 by 3 wickets
Yorkshire are Jess Jonassen. They might as well rename the team.
In this game she did as much as she could again – 110 runs and 3/32 off her 10 overs, but she can only bat at one end and she can only bowl 20% of their overs. That leaves quite a lot for the others to pick up, and once again no-one quite stepped up.
Warwickshire, without Davina Perrin and Katie George, tried to make a game of it, with key batters Redmayne and Pavely out cheaply to a comedy run out (first ball of the reply) and stumped off JJ respectively, but their middle order buckled down and got the job done with 56 for Chloe Brewer the top score, alongside 45 from opener Amu Surenkumar, being the major contributions.
Yorkshire will be wrapping JJ in cotton wool until their next game on 17th June
Martin Davies
18/V/2026