The Blaze 136 (Bryce 31, Burns 5-25) beat Northern Diamonds 132 for 7 (Winfield-Hill 38, Gordon 3-20) by four runs
Offspinner Burns, a 35-year-old franchise veteran in her first season with Diamonds, took wickets in each of her four overs, including two in the powerplay and two with her last two deliveries as The Blaze were bowled out for 136 in exactly 20 overs. Legspinner Katie Levick (3 for 22) also had a good night with the ball.
But despite Lauren Winfield-Hill and Hollie Armitage – who had arrived on the ground with only 20 minutes to spare after being released from the England Women squad at Derby – seeming to put them on track for a victory, Diamonds could not overhaul the 2023 runners-up.
Having been put in on a chilly night under the Trent Bridge lights, The Blaze emerged from their batting powerplay at 38 for 2. Marie Kelly reverse-swept the second ball of the match for four but lost her middle stump playing across the line to the next. Opening partner Teresa Graves picked up two boundaries but after being dropped on 12 she was bowled by Burns.
The Blaze were 60 for 3 by the halfway point, Kathryn Bryce having looked in good order before miscuing Levick’s legspin to Armitage at extra cover.
Sarah Bryce holed out to mid-off as Burns claimed her third success, sparking a Blaze wobble that saw 80 for 3 become 84 for 6 in the space of six balls as Levick dismissed Ella Claridge caught-and-bowled before bowling Nadine de Klerk.
Groves hit a booming six over deep midwicket as she and Michaela Kirk added 36 in three overs before Kirk fell victim to a fine catch on the square-leg boundary by Grace Hall, whose post-catch roll took her perilously close to stepping on the rope.
Gordon was caught at deep midwicket before Burns finished off with two in two as Lucy Higham hit straight to extra cover and Grace Ballinger was stumped.
Diamonds were 39 for 1 from their opening six, Leah Dobson their sole casualty. Armitage and Winfield-Hill added 49 for the second wicket before Armitage, attempting a reverse, became a second leg-before victim for Gordon’s left-arm spin as the Blaze skipper avenged a six in the same over.
At 65 for 2 at halfway, Diamonds had their noses in front but one relatively costly over from Groves apart, the next five overs saw The Blaze dry up the runs and push the required rate up to nine-an-over, the pressure perhaps accounting for two wickets in a single Kathryn Bryce over as the balance suddenly tilted the way of the home side.
Winfield-Hill was bowled stepping down the pitch to the medium-pacer before Burns was run out going for a second to Groves at deep square. Beth Heath was well caught at long-on off de Klerk, Stere Kallis run out after a mix-up with Emma Marlow, who was then bowled by Gordon.
Diamonds needed an unlikely 19 from the final over by Kathryn Bryce and though Katherine Fraser launched a six over wide midwicket they fell five short.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo