Thunder’s resilience was tested to the limit as they narrowly escaped with a one-wicket victory over The Blaze in a thrilling Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy encounter. Bolstered by the return of four England players, Thunder looked poised for a comfortable win after a solid start. However, a dramatic collapse saw them lose six wickets for 39 runs, giving The Blaze a glimmer of hope.
England A batter Seren Smale (58) and opener Emma Lamb (44) had provided a solid foundation for Thunder, guiding them to 89 without loss in 15 overs. But the Blaze spinners, led by Kirstie Gordon (3-23) and Lucy Higham (3-28), fought back valiantly, exploiting the conditions to restrict Thunder’s scoring.
As the wickets tumbled, it was left to last-wicket pair Phoebe Graham and Hannah Jones to hold their nerve and guide Thunder to victory. Jones struck the winning boundary in the 45th over, securing a hard-fought triumph.
Earlier, The Blaze had been bowled out for 174 in 46.4 overs, with England’s Mahika Gaur (3-33) and Jones (3-37) sharing the spoils. Gordon’s 43 provided some resistance, but it was ultimately not enough to prevent Thunder from claiming their second win of the campaign.
