Kathryn Bryce's century proved to be in vain as Lancashire booked their spot in the Women's One Day Cup final with a dramatic final over five-run win over The Blaze at Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge: Lancashire 241-6, The Blaze 236-9 - Lancashire won by five runs
Lancashire maintained their hold over The Blaze in this season's Women's One Day Cup to book a place in the final despite Kathryn Bryce's magnificent 124 in a tense semi-final at Trent Bridge.
Ellie Threlkeld's side await the winners of Wednesday's second semi-final between Hampshire and Surrey at Utilita Bowl in Southampton. The final is on the same ground on Sunday.
Lancashire beat The Blaze home and away in the league phase and pulled off a five-run victory in this match despite being without the competition's top runscorer, Emma Lamb, who is with England ahead of the Women's World Cup, and another of their key batters in Eve Jones, who is injured.
Lancashire captain Ellie Threlkeld rescued her side with the bat (Harry Trump/Getty Images)
With the bat, they recovered from 52 for 4 to post 241 for 6 after Scotland international Ailsa Lister hit a career-best 96 from 91 balls and captain Ellie Threlkeld a season's best 92 from 128.
Seamer Grace Potts, who limped through most of her spell after suffering an injury in her first over, took 3 for 32, and Kate Cross (3 for 47) then led an excellent bowling display, restricting the home side to 236 for 9.
Bryce and Georgia Elwiss (55) combined to add 150 for the fourth wicket in The Blaze's reply, but a superbly disciplined Lancashire attack ensured that The Blaze were never on top of the required scoring rate and that pressure paid off for them as the home side, 179 for 3 with 10 overs remaining, ultimately fell short.
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Lister and Threlkeld shared a 166-run partnership for the fifth Lancashire wicket, 21-year-old Lister underlining her potential by hitting 11 boundaries before she was stumped in search of the one more needed for a maiden hundred, the home side rueing a dropped catch when she was on 66.
The Blaze would have seen chasing 242 as well within their compass, although less so after matching their opponents in losing three wickets in their opening powerplay.
Kathryn Bryce's 124 proved to be in vain (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Bryce brought up her hundred, the fifth of her career in List A cricket and a first in Blaze colours, from 121 balls as the partnership ticked over to 150, but the big breakthrough for Lancashire came shortly afterwards as Elwiss, who had clocked up her fifth half-century of the season, was caught at backward point on the reverse sweep off Fi Morris, with 55 still needed off 52 balls.
The wicket opened up one end for the visitors, and after Marie Kelly, Michaela Kirk and and Lucy Higham all went cheaply, The Blaze needed 33 from 18 balls, which came down to nine off the last over, but when Bryce holed out to mid-off to give Potts her third wicket, their chance had gone.
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