Report & Reaction: Bears v Hampshire Hawks Women, Vitality Blast

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Birmingham Bears continued their strong form in the Women’s Vitality Blast as they beat Hampshire Hawks by 13 runs at EdgBLASTon to record their third win in four games.

Put in, Bears totalled 178 with Meg Austin making a polished T20-best 51 from 38 balls.

Daisy Gibb took three for 25, her wickets all coming in the space of four balls in her third over to put a crucial brake on the Bears when they appeared to be heading for 200.

It was still a testing target for a Hampshire side missing the injured Ella McCaughan, scorer of a match-winning century against Essex last Thursday.

They came in short at 165 for seven as only captain Georgia Adams (32 off 31 balls) and Mary Taylor (31 not out off 17) passed 30 against a disciplined attack led by Millie Taylor (two for 19).

Hampshire chose to bowl but found early breakthroughs elusive. Austin and Davina Perrin (30 off 22) added a polished 70 from 48 balls and, after Perrin was well caught by Charli Knott at mid on off Adams, Perrin and Kalis (35 off 21) took the score to a promising 112 for one after 12 overs.

The 13th over, however, changed the flow as Gibb took wickets with its first, second and fourth balls. Austin fell to another smart catch by Knott at long on and Laura Harris tried to cut a ball that was too far up and played on.

Charis Pavely survived the hat-trick ball but was bowled by a knuckle ball the next. Kalis watched from the non-striker’s end as the trio departed but soon joined them in the pavilion when she top-edged a sweep off Bex Tyson to short fine leg.

Four wickets having fallen for 20 in 18 balls, Bears needed to reboot and Wraith (38 not out off 24) and Issy Wong reintroduced some impetus.

They added 42 in 28 balls before Freya Davies dismissed Wong and Millie Taylor with successive balls in the last over.

Hawks’ reply started frenetically – after 20 balls they were 35 for two with Knott and Maia Bouchier having struck six fours and got out.

Phoebe Graham, signed on loan from Lancashire, ousted Knott, caught behind, and Bouchier pulled Georgia Davis straight to mid-wicket.

When Freya Kemp chipped Hannah Baker to extra cover, Hampshire Hawks were three top batters out and already behind the required rate.

Adams (32 off 31) and Rhianna Southby (29 off 21) added 46 from 36 balls but Bears’  spinners kept the pressure high.

Southby chipped Davis to extra cover and the 15th over, from Baker, cost just two runs to leave Hampshire needing something spectacular.

In search of it, Adams and Naomi Dattani, charged at Millie Taylor and were stumped, setting up the rare spectacle of twin sisters in competition as Mary Taylor came in to face Millie.

Mary survived to unfurl some pleasant strokes but in a lost cause as the required rate escalated.

Hampshire Hawks required 26 from the last over and two singles left Taylor needing to hit the last four balls, from Wong for six. It didn’t happen.