Heather Graham praised a comprehensive performance with the ball as The Blaze secured a 37-run victory over Hampshire at Chesterfield.

Graham top-scored with 73 as the hosts made an above-par 188/6 from their 20 overs, but she was quick to praise The Blaze bowling attack for taking ten wickets on a batter-friendly surface.

“With the ball, we were clinical,” she said.

“It’s pretty tough when you’ve got a good wicket and a fast outfield to try and restrict boundaries, so in between those balls that did go to the boundary it was about trying to apply as much pressure as we could and rack up the dot balls.

“We were able to do that really well today – and full credit to the bowlers, because it was an absolute belter of a pitch, and to be able to bowl a team out on that was outstanding.”

Graham herself secured the key wicket of Rhianna Southby as Hampshire looked to accelerate after the halfway stage in the chase, having hit her 73 runs from 47 deliveries.

The Australia all-rounder arrived at the crease with the hosts 28/3 in the fourth over, and was aware that consolidation was required.  

“I always like to try and get on the front foot, be positive and change a game in any way that I can, but I had to be a bit more calculated at the start,” she said.

“But once I got the hang of the wicket and realised it was a belter, I felt like I was able to get my hands through some good length balls, so I just enjoyed it out there today.”

After her departure, Ella Claridge maintained the hosts’ momentum, reaching her own half-century from the final ball of the innings.

“Ella played a really good innings,” said Graham.

“I didn’t give her much strike when I was in! But the way she was able to continue once I got out and take the reins to hit boundaries was fantastic, and the girls around her like Sarah Glenn played to their strengths, which was really nice to see.”

The right-hander hit a half-century at Queen’s Park last year as The Blaze faced Hampshire in their previous guise as Southern Vipers.

And she admitted to enjoying the conditions in North Derbyshire.

“A couple of the Hampshire girls were like ‘can you stop scoring runs against us here!?’,” she jokes.

“But when you’ve got a nice wicket and a quick outfield, it’s hard not to enjoy it as a batter.

“It’s a beautiful place to play.”