Kathryn Bryce’s battling half-century was narrowly not enough for The Blaze to overcome table-toppers Surrey on a scorching afternoon at Trent Bridge.
Despite the hosts restricting Surrey to a meagre 132-9 from their 20 overs, a battling performance with the ball kept The Blaze to 122-5 to eke out a ten-run win.
They pulled it off despite a bizarre start to The Blaze’s pursuit in which Alice Monaghan had to be removed from the Surrey attack for bowling two full tosses above waist height and 27 were conceded in the opening two overs.
However, a comeback by Surrey’s slower bowlers meant that The Blaze - the only side to beat Surrey after winning at the Kia Oval earlier in the season - fell short despite Bryce’s unbeaten 53.
England leg-spinner Sarah Glenn finished with three for 20 and Australia all-rounder Heather Graham two for 20.
Surrey were unable to build on 27 from 23 balls from Alice Davidson-Richards, with Grace Harris their next-highest scorer on 26 from 19.
Surrey’s experiment with Davidson-Richards at the top of the order paid off as she struck five fours in the powerplay, helping the visitors to 39 without loss from six after winning the toss, but when she went down the pitch to Kirstie Gordon in the seventh she was caught at long-on.
Bryony Smith was caught at deep midwicket for 18 but the third-wicket pair added 39 from 29 balls before Harris top-edged a slog-sweep off Glenn, whose next over proved calamitous for Surrey as Emma Jones was bowled making room to cut, Kira Chathli caught at mid-off, and Monaghan run out.
From 91 for two, Surrey were 98 for six, and though Phoebe Franklin picked up three boundaries, she was leg before stepping across to Graham, who then bowled Moore for two.
Cassidy McCarthy dismissed Alexa Stonehouse and though MacDonald-Gay scrambled two off the final ball, 133 looked a target well within the home side’s compass.
Surrey’s fortunes did not improve with the ball, giving The Blaze innings a 12-ball opening over.
Started by Monaghan, it was ended by Davidson-Richards, who conceded three wides of her own but had a catch put down when Kelly survived a chance on four.
After Alexa Stonehouse went for three boundaries, The Blaze were 27 without loss from two overs, yet Surrey responded well by conceding only 14 more in the powerplay, picking up a wicket when Marie Kelly hit Moore’s off-spin straight to cover.
The squeeze continued and after Georgia Elwiss had picked out Monaghan in the deep on the leg side, Blaze were behind the required rate at 59 for two from 10, needing another 74.
The Bryce sisters eked out 43 at a run a ball before Sarah failed to clear wide long-on for 21, leaving 40 needed from the last five overs, but Moore conceded only two from the next.
The 17th over was the first since the second of the innings in which Surrey had conceded more than eight but after Graham found long-on to go for three, the Blaze needed 22 from 12 balls.
Ella Claridge tried but failed to clear deep midwicket off MacDonald-Gay, after which Franklin had no trouble defending 19 off the last over to see Surrey hang on.
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