Women's T20 Blast round-up: Bryce leads Blaze to victory

Kathryn Bryce's four wickets and a run out led The Blaze to victory over Hampshire Hawks

Kathryn Bryce took 4-13 to eclipse Australia legend Ellyse Perry on her Hampshire Hawks debut and put The Blaze in a strong position to qualify for the Women's T20 Blast finals day.

Perry removed Scotland captain Bryce with her first ball for her new team but the Blaze all-rounder hit back by claiming the wicket of the Hawks newcomer, who is the only person to play in both ICC and Fifa World Cup finals.

Kirstie Gordon's side bounced back from their defeat by Warwickshire by recovering from a scrappy start to reach 188-6 thanks to Heather Graham (73 off 47 balls) and Ella Claridge (51 not out off 36).

Perry ended with 2-23 as Blaze lost three wickets in nine balls, including that of Kathryn Bryce from Perry's very first ball in the competition, finding the outside edge.

Graham was immediately fluent and, though Davies returned to trap Sarah Bryce lbw with a yorker, Claridge was the perfect foil for the Australian.

After Graham's departure, Claridge closed the innings with a flurry of fours to reach a 36-ball half-century and, with Sarah Glenn, plundered 37 from the last 14 balls of the innings.

Hampshire replied with 151 all out, only Rhianna Southby's classy T20-best 64 (42) defying a Blaze attack led by Kathryn Bryce.

Perry had launched Hampshire's reply with three fours from her first nine balls but perished in pursuit of a fourth when she lifted Kathryn Bryce to mid-on.

The Hawks' defeat means they, or any other side, have a great deal to do in the remaining games to reel in top three Surrey, The Blaze and Warwickshire.

Durham's double

Durham completed the double over Somerset in the meeting of the bottom two, beating their winless West Country visitors by six runs at the Banks Homes Riverside.

Having been asked to bat first, Durham made 154-4 in their 20 overs, with Suzie Bates making 48 and skipper Hollie Armitage 41.

Despite Bex Odgers celebrating the award of her first contract by making 54, Somerset finished on 148-7, with Mia Rogers making three stumpings and Phoebe Turner taking 1-15 from her four overs.

New Zealand batter Bates and her opening partner Emma Marlow put on 50 in 5.2 overs before Marlow was caught at long-on off Chloe Skelton and Bates was caught at short third by Odgers off Alex Griffiths when two short of her third Durham half-century.

The departure of their marquee signing made little difference. Armitage was unluckily run out for 41 at the bowler's end when Skelton deflected Mady Villiers' fierce drive into the stumps and Durham's momentum was also slowed by Erin Vukusic, who conceded only 29 runs from her four overs.

Somerset's openers began in expansive fashion, Odgers taking 16 runs off Grace Thompson's first over and despite the loss of Niamh Holland and Fran Wilson, the visitors ended the powerplay three runs better placed than Durham, albeit having lost one more wicket.

A significant setback followed for Somerset, though, when skipper Sophie Luff was run out for three off her own bowling by Phoebe Turner after a mix-up with Odgers.

Odgers responded by reaching her half-century off 35 balls but was stumped by Rogers off Katie Levick for 54 two balls later.

Durham's spinners put the brakes on Somerset's progress following the opener's dismissal and the 40 runs needed off the final five overs proved too high a target as Phoebe and Sophie Turner choked off the runs with tight medium pace bowling.