Katherine Fraser gets Durham Second XI over the line against Essex before Durham fall short to The Blaze on Second XI T20 Finals Day.
After being inserted into bat by Emma Marlow The Blaze struggled to score runs off the bat in the opening stages, benefitting from extras as they made 26 from the opening four overs.
Phoebe Turner struck twice in the fifth over, removing Michaela Kirk and Amy Wheeler with just 30 runs posted. The runs weren’t flowing as Dani Hazell’s side limited The Blaze to 50 before striking for a third time in the tenth over.
Ella Claridge skied one off Katherine Fraser to Harriet Robson with The Blaze reaching 57/3 halfway in their innings.
Georgie Boyce and Lara Shaw bounced back for the Trent Bridge side with a stand of 51 before Trudy Johnson ended Shaw’s stay on 31, hitting the top of her off stump.
Abi Glen then found a thin edge of Scarlett Hughes to have The Blaze five down on 112 but they bounced back with the bat, striking 38 in the final 3.3 overs to set Durham 151 to win. Boyce finished unbeaten on 41 whilst Lucy Higham added 27* from just 14 balls.
Phoebe Turner conceded just 13 runs in three overs as she picked up two wickets while Johnson, Fraser and Glen all contributed one each.
Durham struggled to keep up with the required rate from the off, losing Leah Dobson in the powerplay and scoring just 33.
Marlow fell for 17 in the ninth after her side added a further 13. Charlotte Stubbs and Phoebe Turner batted with tempo, adding 26 in 16 balls before The Blaze responded with a double blow.
Turner and Harriet Robson were both out in the twelfth and Glen had found the fence twice consecutively before she was bowled for 13 with Durham on 85.
Fraser then dealt some big blows with Durham needing 66 from 5.3 overs, striking three fours and two maximums but it always looked an uphill task.
With 21 runs required from the final over, Charley Phillips conceded just one from the opening four to seal victory before taking the consolation wicket of Stubbs on 37 with Fraser unbeaten on 34.
Andrews shone with the ball taking 3/21 backed up by one each for Higham, Groves and Phillips as The Blaze claimed the Second XI trophy with victory by 15 runs.
Durham Second XI 135/6 beat Essex Second XI 134/7 by 4 wickets
After Emma Marlow won the toss and put Essex into bat at Billericay, Katherine Fraser had Ariana Dowse top edge to Phoebe Turner with the hosts on 21. They added a further 20 before the close of the powerplay for no further loss.
Fraser soon struck again with Essex on 46 as Maddie Blinkhorn-Jones lofted to mid-off. Marlow then claimed two wickets in an over as the hosts were reduced to 61/4 at the halfway stage. Trudy Johnson claimed Durham’s fifth with 80 on the board for Essex and seven overs remaining.
Bella Johnson made 22 before she was bowled to become Fraser’s third victim after a partnership of 24 with Elsa Barnfather. A late rally from Barnfather- who made 35 from 23, pushed Essex up to a total of 134/7.
Fraser claimed 3/22, supported by Marlow’s 2/6 and one wicket apiece for Trudy Johnson and Abi Glen.
Leah Dobson and Marlow got Durham off to a steady start with the bat, adding 24 before Dobson was caught by Bella Johnson halfway through the powerplay.
Charlotte Stubbs and Marlow shared a stand of 45 together as Durham looked ahead of the game with nine wickets in hand before Stubbs was out on the cusp of 10 overs.
This began a flurry of wickets as Marlow, Harriet Robson and Abi Glen were dismissed in three consecutive overs to leave the North East side 83/5.
Turner and Fraser steadied the ship and looked set to take the Ds to victory but a stand of 29 was cut short when the former was caught at long-on.
Fraser held her nerve, finishing with an unbeaten 21 to guide Durham into the final. Bella Johnson and Mabel Reid shared four wickets for Essex with Hannah Davis and Prisha Bedi claiming a scalp each.