STERRE Kalis admitted Bears needed to be ‘at their very best’ to win a crucial Vitality Blast women’s meeting with The Blaze at Edgbaston.
Bears handed the Nottinghamshire side their first defeat of the campaign with a 25 run victory.
Both teams have been two of the competition’s front-runners so far – and Bears stole a march on their East Midlands neighbours.
Bears’ total of 172 for six was built upon strong contributions from their top three, with Kalis hitting 54 (41 balls), Meg Austin 39 (30) and Davina Perrin 25 (18).
Runs then came less freely as Kathryn Bryce dismissed those three on the way to an excellent four for 21.
The Blaze replied with a scrappy 147 for eight. Tammy Beaumont hit 44 (29) but the rest of the powerful batting line-up misfired against the home side’s excellent and varied attack led by the pace of Em Arlott (three for 33) and the spin of Millie Taylor (two for 23).
Kalis told the Bears’ official website: “We’re really pleased with the win. We played very well and knew we needed to be at our very best to beat a team like the Blaze. Everyone contributed.
“Dav and Meg up top have been very positive and for me to come in next with a good platform makes it a lot easier. I felt really good out there.
“As the group has gone on, everyone is contributing really well with bat and ball. Each game shows how much quality we have got in our team.
“We played brilliantly – 170 was a good score and then our bowlers took wickets regularly and did really well to defend it.”
Bears chose to bat and were given a strong foundation by openers Austin and Perrin, who added 59 in 40 balls. Both then fell to the Bryce sisters, stumped by Sarah off Kathryn.
In each case, it was excellent glovework by the wicketkeeper as Perrin was lured down the pitch and Bryce (S) did well to take a ball that bounced, and then Austin missed an attempted cut and lifted her back foot just momentarily, but long enough for Bryce to pounce.
Kalis added another polished half-century to the one she lofted for the Netherlands against the USA in Utrecht eight days ago, but the rest came and went. Laura Harris tried to slog-sweep from outside off stump and skied Kirstie Gordon to mid-wicket. Pavely, Bears’ match-winner two days earlier, lifted Grace Ballinger to long on.
Kathryn Bryce returned to have Kalis caught at mid-off and Nat Wraith pouched at extra cover as the Bears came in with a decent but by no means daunting total on a good batting pitch.
The Blaze soon lost former Bears batter, Marie Kelly, who pulled Issy Wong to deep square. Beaumont, who hit seven fours and a six, and Kathyn Bryce added 49 from 48 balls but then fell in successive overs, caught in the deep off Taylor and Georgia Davis respectively. When Heather Graham chipped Hannah Baker to mid-wicket, three wickets had fallen for 12 runs in 18 balls, and the required rate had climbed above ten per over.
As the equation came down to 64 from the last five overs, the Blaze needed a huge over, but it never came. Georgia Elwiss sought six over mid-wicket off England pace bowler Arlott but was well-caught by Perrin just inside the rope. Ella Claridge lifted Taylor straight, and Perrin was under that one too, as the Bears’ diverse and disciplined attack extinguished the Blaze chase.
