The Blaze aur Essex Women ke beech Vitality Blast Women 2025 ke 12th match mein, Derby ke Central Co-op County Ground par ek aisa match dekha gaya jismein The Blaze ne shuruaat se lekar ant tak apna dabdaba banaye rakha. Lekin yeh jeet itni aasaan nahi thi jitni scoreline dikhati hai. Essex ki team ne shuruaat mein thodi si ummeed jagayi thi, lekin unka batting line-up jaldi hi dhadam se gir gaya, aur iska poora credit jata hai The Blaze ki shandaar bowling aur Kathryn Bryce ke all-round performance ko.
Shuruaat mein Jhatka aur Essex ka Sankat
Match ki shuruaat The Blaze ke liye thodi si chintajanak rahi jab unki opening bowler Grace Ballinger ek hi ball ke baad injury ke karan field se bahar chali gayi. Yeh ek bada jhatka tha, kyunki Ballinger ki pace aur swing The Blaze ke liye hamesha ek mazboot hathiyaar rahi hain. Lekin is mushkil waqt mein Kathryn Bryce ne team ki zimmedari sambhali. Unhone apni pehli hi over mein Essex ki star batter Lauren Winfield-Hill ko lbw karke team ko ek badi safalta dilayi. Winfield-Hill, jo 3 matches mein 132 runs bana chuki thi aur 162.96 ke strike rate ke sath khel rahi thi, sirf 19 runs par hi pavilion laut gayi.
Essex ka batting order iske baad bikharta chala gaya. Jo Gardner ne 22 runs banaye, aur captain Grace Scrivens ne bhi 19 runs ka yogdan diya, lekin baaki koi bhi batter Bryce aur Cassidy McCarthy (2-22) ke samne tik nahi saki. Kathryn ne apne 4 overs mein sirf 11 runs diye aur 2 wickets chate, jabki McCarthy ne bhi apna jadoo chalaya. Essex ki puri team 20 overs mein sirf 104 runs par simat gayi, jo ek chhota sa target tha The Blaze jaisi majboot team ke liye.
Kathryn Bryce ka Bat se Jadoo
Chasing ke liye utri The Blaze ki team ko shuruaat mein ek jhatka laga jab Georgia Elwiss, jo pehle do matches mein back-to-back half-centuries bana chuki thi, bina khata khole hi Kate Coppack ke haathon caught behind ho gayi. Marie Kelly bhi jaldi hi Esmae MacGregor ke haathon out ho gayi, jinhone 3 matches mein 9 wickets lekar Essex ke bowling attack ko majboot kiya tha. Lekin yahan se Kathryn Bryce ne apne all-round khel ka jadoo chala diya. Unhone apni sister Sarah Bryce ke sath milkar innings ko sambhala aur ek shandaar unbeaten 51 runs ki innings kheli, jismein ek shandaar straight six bhi shamil tha jo match ka turning point bana.
Kathryn ka yeh pradarshan koi naya nahi tha. 2024 ke Charlotte Edwards Cup mein unhone 478 runs banaye the, jismein 5 half-centuries shamil thi, aur woh tournament ki top run-scorer rahi thi. Unki consistency aur pressure mein run banane ki kshamata unhe ek alag hi star banati hai. Is match mein bhi unhone 51 balls mein 51 runs banaye aur The Blaze ko 7 wickets se jeet dilayi, woh bhi 35 balls bachi hui thi. Yeh jeet ek bonus point ke sath aayi, jo The Blaze ke liye ek bada boost hai.
Memorable Moments aur Beete Hue Pal
Kathryn Bryce ka yeh pradarshan unke aur The Blaze ke liye ek aur yaadgaar lamha tha. Pichhle saal, 2024 ke Charlotte Edwards Cup final mein, Kathryn aur unki sister Sarah Bryce ne milkar South East Stars ke khilaf ek shandaar jeet dilayi thi. Kathryn ne 62 runs aur Sarah ne unbeaten 52 runs banaye the, jisse The Blaze ne 7 wickets se title jeeta tha. Yeh ek aisa pal tha jisne The Blaze ko ek nayi pehchaan di aur Kathryn ko Domestic Women’s Overall MVP ka khitab dilaya.
Iske alawa, Kathryn ka ek aur yaadgaar performance 2024 ke August mein Sunrisers ke khilaf aaya tha, jab unhone 4 wickets liye aur unbeaten 87 runs banaye, jisse The Blaze ne ek shandaar jeet hasil ki. Yeh pal dikhaata hai ki Kathryn na sirf ek consistent performer hain, balki clutch moments mein bhi badi innings khel sakti hain.
The Blaze ke captain Kirstie Gordon bhi is match mein apni leadership ke liye taareef ke layak hain. 2024 mein unhone 22 wickets lekar Charlotte Edwards Cup mein top wicket-taker ka khitab jeeta tha, aur is saal bhi woh team ke liye ek mazboot pillar hain. Unki leadership aur Kathryn ke all-round skills ne The Blaze ko ek formidable team bana diya hai.
Thodi si Kami
Lekin, yeh jeet kitni bhi badi kyun na ho, The Blaze ke liye abhi bhi kuch chunautiyan bachi hain. Grace Ballinger ki injury ek chinta ka vishay hai, kyunki unki pace bowling team ke liye ek bada asset hai. Iske alawa, team ka middle order abhi bhi thoda weak dikhta hai, aur agar Kathryn aur Sarah Bryce jaisi players out ho jati hain toh team pressure mein aa sakti hai. Essex ke khilaf yeh jeet shandaar thi, lekin aane wale matches mein The Blaze ko apni consistency banaye rakhni hogi, khaas karke jab woh badi teams jaise Hampshire Hawks ya Glamorgan ke khilaf khelenge.
