Half-centuries for Marie Kelly and Orla Prendergast saw The Blaze to a stunning three-wicket win over Warwickshire in a run-soaked affair at Trent Bridge.

Kelly crafted a career-best 79 from 94 balls, while Prendergast strong-armed 56 off 30 for a second successive fifty as the hosts chased down an imposing 303 with four balls to spare.

The Blaze at one point needed 76 from 42 balls, only for Prendergast to decisively intervene by slamming six fours and two sixes as the hosts crossed the line with five balls to spare.

The Bears had earlier posted 302-5 after Charis Pavely had struck an unbeaten 128, but two wickets apiece for Charley Phillips and Nat Sciver-Brunt kept them in check by just enough.

The returning Phillips especially ensured Warwickshire were narrowly unable to set an unassailable total with a strong powerplay spell on her way to eventual figures of 2/25.

England captain Sciver-Brunt, meanwhile, contributed 2/45 and added 47 from 32 balls, while 38 from Kathryn Bryce and Georgia Elwiss’s 31 were also telling contributions with the bat.

While Pavely’s 128 was Warwickshire’s standout performance, Phillips ensured the visitors’ other dangerwoman, Davina Perrin, made only 24 before seeing her off stump sent flying.

That was the culmination of a powerplay that saw only 34 runs, and Sciver-Brunt then had Amu Surenkumar held by Tammy Beaumont for 16 before pinning Meg Austin lbw on 10 to leave the Bears in trouble.

However, a hefty stand of 197 between Pavely and Katie George, who hit 98, brought the contest back into the balance, before the latter snicked a bottom edge through to Amy Jones behind the stumps off Grace Ballinger.

She may have been dejected at falling just short of her ton, but The Blaze sensed an opening and ended the innings confidently, with just 41 more runs coming off the final 34 balls.

That included Phillips returning at the death to remove Nat Wraith lbw for nine, and although the total crept above 300, the hosts’ confidence continued through the start of the chase.

Tammy Beaumont was extraordinarily unlucky to chop on from left-armer Alexa Stonehouse, but that aside, The Blaze assuredly progressed to 100-1 just before drinks.

Bryce and Kelly put on 74 for the second wicket, with the latter’s second fifty of the summer wedged in the small gap between the team 100 and drinks, at which The Blaze were 103-1.

That second-wicket stand did end just after drinks as Pavely trapped Bryce lbw, but Kelly pushed on, with the addition of Sciver-Brunt to the middle helping to increase the rate.

Another fifty partnership came up, in just 44 balls, and it was eventually worth 64 before Sciver-Brunt, having hit England teammate Issy Wong for two successive fours, was bowled.

In a showcase of the zenith of talent on offer at Trent Bridge, however, Amy Jones was next to the crease, and her fluent 20 helped the total tick on to 195-3 in the 40th over.

Kelly did drive Pavely to George at mid-off with 108 still needed, but Prendergast picked up where she left off and struck her fifth ball, from Hannah Baker, high and straight for six.

Entering the fray, Elwiss then helped the hosts overcome the loss of Jones, caught by a sprinting Pavely on the midwicket boundary, with back-to-back fours to end the 43rd over.

Although more than helpful, that still left the hosts requiring almost 12 per over, but Prendergast’s three successive fours off Stonehouse saw that slip back down.

What also saw the required rate continue to fall was the next four overs that totalled 44 runs, with Prendergast reaching her half-century off Stonehouse at the start of the 48th over.

She did fall at the end of that, but by then, her pyrotechnics, in conjunction with Elwiss, with whom she added 71 in just 5.5 overs, meant The Blaze were well set at 286-6.

Elwiss also departed in the next over to Wong, having struck her 31 from just 17 deliveries, but when Lucy Higham carted her first ball from the England quick for four, the momentum continued to head in only one direction.

Captain Kirstie Gordon then near-enough finished things off by slamming Wong for six into the Acrisure Stand to take The Blaze within two of their target.

In fittingly dramatic circumstances, they then achieved it with four balls left as Stonehouse had an opportunity to catch a steepling top-edge from Higham but fell just short.

It allowed her and Gordon to scamper through, taking The Blaze over the line, and bring the curtain down on one of the finest games of 50-over cricket of recent memory.