The Blaze v Lancashire Thunder, Vitality Blast

Vitality Blast - Women

June 7, 2026, 11am

Trent Bridge

The Blaze  (4pts) 135-9 beat Lancashire Thunder (0pts) 115  by 15 runs

Lancashire’s Grace Potts took a career-best five for 20, only for Australian all-rounder Charli Knott to deliver the match-winning performance as The Blaze moved to the top of the Vitality Blast Women’s points table with a 15-run victory as Thunder were dismissed for 120 at Trent Bridge.

Potts bowled superbly as The Blaze were restricted to 135 for nine, despite Tammy Beaumont making 59 from 40 deliveries with eight fours.

But Knott’s four for 17 - also a career-best - trumped the Thunder seamer as the visitors were dismissed for 120 in 19.1 overs, the off-spinner inflicting the biggest damage with a triple-wicket maiden in the seventh over of their innings. Skipper Ellie Threlkeld’s 49 from 36 balls proved in vain.

Georgia Elwiss took three for 12 and two key catches as The Blaze made their experience count after Beaumont, her 34-year-old teammate, was dismissed by Thunder’s 16-year-old leg-spinner Venus Weerappuli, who was born on the day The Blaze opener was making her England debut in 2009.

Lancashire have now lost four from five in the Blast and have significant work to do to reach a top-four finish for Finals Day, with seven games remaining.

Lancashire captain Ellie Threlkeld said:

“We’re very disappointed, obviously. We thought we’d done the first half really, really well, with some very positive things, including Grace Potts getting her maiden T20 five-for, which was great to see. She’s been amazing for us all year, without necessarily getting the rewards. And our spinners bowled really well on that pitch. Pace off was pretty useful.

“But in the chase we lost wickets in clusters, which made it hard to build momentum. The frustrating thing was that even though we lost wickets we were up with the rate until right near the end, so we are kicking ourselves we didn’t get over the line.

“But there are plenty of games to go in the competition and there are plenty of positives to take from today.

“Venus, for example, has been brilliant. For a 16-year-old to come in like that, in front of a good crowd at a Test match ground, and bowl the way she did was fantastic.”