The Blaze advance to Finals Day as Sarah Bryce sparkles against the Diamonds

SETH NOBES AT THE RIVERSIDE: It was billed as a clash of the titans. Instead what unravelled was a very clear display of dominance from The Blaze, highlighting their status as the team to beat this season

Chester-le-Street: Northern Diamonds 129-7, The Blaze 133-4 - The Blaze won by six wickets

One thing was certain before play got underway at the Seat Unique Riverside today: either The Blaze or Northern Diamonds would lose their 100 per cent record in this year's Charlotte Edwards Cup.

It was billed to as a clash of the titans. Instead what unravelled was a very clear display of dominance from The Blaze, highlighting their status as the team to beat this season. And this was without the likes of Tammy Beaumont and Nat Sciver-Brunt.

An excellent, but not faultless, all-round performance in the field from the East Midlands outfit meant they would be chasing 130 to pick up a fifth successive victory, condemning the Diamonds to a first defeat of the season.

By the end of their fifth over with the bat, the result almost seemed a foregone conclusion. Chasing their target within 16 overs was the new aim, given this would see them awarded a bonus point.

Sarah Bryce was the star and will understandably take the credit, finishing 67 not out, including three sixes, with a strike rate above 155. Her intent led the way to a completed chase inside 16 overs, with six wickets left over. But the team performance enabled this bonus-point win, showing why The Blaze will be favourites to lift the trophy come next Saturday.

^{Bryce and Nadine de Klerk, who put on another all-round show, celebrate the win [Stu Forster/Getty Images]}

Choosing to bat, Northern Diamonds would have been hoping for a big total. However, the powerplay ended with a whimper with only 26 runs coming from it. It seemed The Blaze had found a way to tame the usually free-flowing opening pair of Lauren Winfield-Hill and Leah Dobson. This resulted in the Diamonds' lowest powerplay total of the season, and the second lowest in the 2023 edition of this tournament.

This is not to say The Blaze were perfect, or one player bowled exceptionally to limit the momentum of the previously free-scoring Diamonds. In fact, the East Midlands side did make mistakes in the field, with Winfield-Hill able to relieve some of the early pressure on her with a first boundary in the fifth over when Lucy Higham bundled the ball over the rope.

Dobson fell in the first over following the lifting of the fielding restrictions, bringing captain Hollie Armitage to the crease. She showed her intent with a reserve paddle off Kirstie Gordon, but the rate was still somewhat lacklustre.

It seemed the Diamonds needed some luck, and an inside edge for four apiece for Winfield-Hill and Armitage certainly helped. The former seemed determined to make the most of this opportunity, lofting the ball over the fielder at mid-off to pick up four more. But still, the rate was below par. The captain attempted to change this, but could only find the fielder on the midwicket boundary.

^{Lauren Winfield-Hill wasn't allowed to explode by The Blaze's bowlers [Stu Forster/Getty Images]}

Bess Heath made her own attempt to speed the rate along with some success but soon fell to the impressive Nadine de Klerk, who ended with three wickets. Winfield-Hill laboured her way to 40, before trying to be creative with a reverse scoop - Sophie Munro displaced her stumps. De Klerk finished the innings with the two wickets with the final two balls, including Chloe Tryon, whose 20 runs came quickly.

The Blaze made a great start in their chase, with Marie Kelly's dismissal only proving a minor speedbump.

Two identical sixes over cow corner from Bryce off the bowling of Katie Levick in the fifth over effectively ended the game as a contest, and took the run rate above the 8.1 needed for a bonus point.

The Blaze did not look back, with Bryce soon bringing up her deserved half-century from 50 balls. A useful contribution of 21 not out from de Klerk completed an impressive all-round performance, with a six from the South African seeing the target reached with 26 balls remaining.

The bonus point was secured, and a marker laid down. The Blaze will be in Worcester next Saturday, and it seems it's going to take a minor miracle to prevent them from travelling back across the Midlands with the Charlotte Edwards Cup.

This coverage is brought to you in partnership with Smile Group Travel, specialists in women and girls cricket. For more information, visit www.smilegrouptravel.com