Bears Hand Blaze Their First Defeat as Essex Triumph Over Durham

The Bears Women achieved a remarkable result in the Women’s T20 Blast, defeating The Blaze to inflict a first defeat of the campaign on the runaway leaders. At the same time, Clint Essex was leading Durham in circles around the ring for a lopsided finish. It showed some incredible individual performances. Sterre Kalis and Esmae MacGregor were the defensive anchors for the Netherlands and USA respectively, making huge contributions for their teams today.

Sterre Kalis, playing for the Bears, took full advantage of her run-scoring prowess this season by finishing with 54 runs to lead all players. This was her second half-century in as many innings during this year’s T20 Blast. It was Kalis’ one-of-a-kind contributions that brought The Bears to triumph over The Blaze. This victory was particularly sweet because The Blaze had been undefeated up until that point.

Meanwhile, in the battle of the county champions — Essex vs Durham — the home side made all the running early on. Esmae MacGregor was the standout performer for Essex as she helped the side to victory over Durham with figures of 2/11. This took her season total to a remarkable 18 wickets. It is her reliable figures of 1/25 that has seen her become one of the leading bowlers in this year’s T20 Blast. Kate Coppack had two wickets, making it a dream start for the team. Durham soon found themselves rocking at 17 for 4 after just four overs.

And even after that early onslaught, Hollie Armitage still put up a rugged resistance for Durham, eventually ending on 47 not out. Despite her best work, this was not enough to bounce back from the initial onslaught delivered by the Essex bowlers. The visitors from Essex were in control of the game from first whistle to last. They won a comprehensive six-wicket victory, reasserting their dominance in the 2023 tournament.

In the Bears’ game against The Blaze, Meg Austin and Davina Perrin took control from the outset. They laid an excellent platform and lay the platform scoring 59 runs without losing a wicket. Their partnership laid the groundwork for Kalis’s innings and ultimately led to the Bears’ success against a previously unbeaten side.

It was Kathryn Bryce that led the bowling charge for The Blaze in what proved to be a stellar performance. She let loose some dazzling figures of 4 for 21 against Durham. As great as Bryce was, it was not enough to lead her team to victory.