Kathryn Bryce stars as Blaze get back to winning ways

The Blaze reasserted their Women's Vitality Blast qualification charge with a rock-solid 37-run victory over Hampshire at Queen's Park, Chesterfield.

Kirstie Gordon's side bounced back from their defeat to Warwickshire by recovering from a scrappy start to reach 188 for six thanks to Heather Graham (73, 47 balls) and Ella Claridge (51 not out, 36) who added 76 from 51 balls for the fifth wicket. Ellyse Perry, on her debut, took a wicket with her first ball for Hampshire on the way to two for 23.

Hampshire replied with 151 all out, only Rhianna Southby's classy T20-best 64 (42) defying for long against a Blaze attack led by Kathryn Bryce (four for 13). The Hawks' defeat means they, or any other side, have a great deal to do in the remaining games to reel in top three Blaze, Surrey and Warwickshire.

Put in, Blaze were given a brisk start by Marie Kelly (16 from seven balls) but then lost three wickets in nine balls. Kelly's off-stump was uprooted by Freya Davies who two balls later took a simple catch at mid on, offered by Georgia Elwiss off Rebecca Tyson. Kathryn Bryce then edged Perry's first ball to wicketkeeper Southby.

Graham was immediately fluent and, though Davies returned to trap Sarah Bryce lbw with a yorker, Claridge supplied vital support. Claridge contributed only eight of the first 50 added by the fifth-wicket pair but was the perfect foil for the Australian who exploited a reprieve on six, when she was dropped at short third man by Tyson off Daisy Gibb, to reach 50 from 34 balls.

Graham was threatening to take the game right away from Hampshire when she drove a low full toss from Perry back to the bowler. Michaela Kirk walked across one from Georgia Adams and was bowled but Claridge closed the innings with a flurry of fours to reach a 36-ball half-century and, with Sarah Glenn, plunder 37 from the last 14 balls of the innings.

Perry 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. Gordon accepted that catch and inflicted further damage with her first ball which she flighted past Freya Kemp's charge to hit leg-stump.

Adams clipped Kathryn Bryce to mid-wicket and, as the required rate climbed, Southby carried the fight to Blaze, passing a boundary-laden half-century from 36 balls. Southby and Abi Norgrove added 54 from 32 balls but fell in successive overs as the pressure grew.

Both were bowled, Southby slogging at Graham and Norgrove beaten in the flight by Kathryn Bryce. Hampshire's chase disintegrated with Megan Sturge suffering the rotten luck of being run out without facing a ball on her Hawks debut.