Ryana MacDonald-Gay leads the rout as The Blaze goes down in flames

Tash Farrant seals the tournament with a half-century for South East Stars.
South East Stars 127 for 2 (Farrant 68*) defeated The Blaze 126 (MacDonald-Gay 5-31) by 8 wickets.
Ryana MacDonald-Gay, an England seam-bowling prospect, took a career-best five for 31 before opener Tash Farrant continued her good start to the season with an unbeaten 68 as South East Stars defeated The Blaze in their Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy contest in Leicester.

England's Farrant, who scored a career-best 94 as Stars opened with a win over holders Southern Vipers last weekend, led the way as Bryony Smith's side cruised to an eight-wicket victory with 159 balls remaining.

It could have been much more comfortable if not for a competition-record partnership that saved The Blaze's blushes after they were reduced to 49 for nine after winning the toss and opting to bat. Skipper Kirstie Gordon and number 11 Grace Ballinger's 77-run stand was the most for the 10th wicket by any team since the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy was introduced in 2020.
England's Sarah Glenn returned to action for The Blaze for the first time since suffering a concussion a month ago, but last season's runners-up were still without four first-choice players due to international commitments, with three injured.

The Blaze, who were severely depleted at the top of the batting order, were in trouble from the start when opener Marie Kelly, one of their more experienced hitters, lunged for MacDonald-Gay's opening delivery and bottom-edged into her stumps.
Wickets two and three came in her following two overs as MacDonald-Gay improved her aim, leaving Sophie Munro and Ella Claridge with no answer to balls arrowing in at stumps.
Blaze's rocky start quickly worsened when MacDonald-Gay's new-ball partner Phoebe Franklin found enough away movement to remove South Africa all-rounder Nadine de Klerk and Glenn in four deliveries, with neither making a run, the former caught behind before Glenn edged to second slip, as 16 for three became 17 for five.

Teresa Graves was dropped as extra cover for Franklin, but the Stars were soon rejoicing again after MacDonald-Gay trapped Daisy Mullan in front.
Graves and Bethany Harmer each hit boundaries, giving The Blaze some hope, but it was short-lived as another straight delivery from MacDonald-Gay dismissed Graves and gave the England A spinner her maiden five-wicket haul in women's List A cricket.
The Blaze were 39 for seven when England seamer Alice Davidson-Richards took over at the Bennett End. Harmer was caught at backward point, and MacDonald-Gay added to her spectacular performance with a fine one-handed catch.

When Davidson-Richards removed Cassidy McCarthy, the Blaze were 49 for nine with only 75 minutes played, and the end felt imminent.
But Gordon and Ballinger had other plans. The last-wicket pair held up the Stars for more than an hour and a half, taking a mature, measured approach that saw them resist any temptation to throw the bat and instead concentrate on working the gaps in what is English domestic cricket's largest playing area, with only a quarter of their runs coming in boundaries.
Ballinger surpassed her previous List A best of 18 before being leg before to a palpably relieved Smith's off-spin. At the same time, Gordon's unbeaten 41 was her highest List-A score in English domestic cricket.

Their efforts had at least given themselves and their other bowlers a higher total to defend than had appeared likely, but it was still insufficient to defeat the Stars, for whom Smith struck 34 from 33 balls before Farrant took over, hitting five fours and two sixes in her 81-ball innings.
Farrant and Smith took advantage of the shorter, straight boundaries until Smith holed out to mid-on after an 82-run opening stand, with Gordon bowled Scholfield for The Blaze's only other victory.