The Blaze keep treble hopes burning with latest Metro Bank One-Day Cup win

The result keeps The Blaze at the top of the standings and they need one win from their last two fixtures to guarantee their place in the Final on September 19.

Unbeaten half-centuries from Sarah Bryce and Emma Jones saw The Blaze home with 11.3 overs to spare after Tammy Beaumont had earlier made 39. Spinner Lucy Higham impressed with four for 28 and there were two wickets each for Grace Ballinger and Kirstie Gordon after The Blaze had won the toss.

The Blaze have already lifted silverware twice this season, winning both the Vitality Blast and Vitality T20 County Cup competitions.

On the pitch used for Nottinghamshire’s four-day match against Leicestershire that ended on Saturday, Somerset managed only two boundaries in the opening powerplay, losing Bex Odgers and Emma Corney as they struggled to 22 for two from 10.

Luff regularly stepped down the pitch to drive profitably, her half-century from 55 deliveries with seven fours dominating a 66-run partnership with Holland. But she missed a ball pushed wide by Kathryn Bryce and was stumped.

Wickets then fell at regular intervals. After Holland was bowled by a grubber, Jess Hazell found extra cover before Higham’s skilful, loopy off-spin accounted for Katie Jones (stumped), Jazz Westley (caught long-on), Chloe Skelton and Griffiths (bowled) before Ballinger bowled Lola Harris to finish the innings.

In pursuit of their target, The Blaze likewise lost two wickets in the powerplay, Prisha Thanawala (caught at slip) and Kathryn Bryce (caught behind) as Ellie Anderson twice found the edge of the bat.

Georgia Elwiss fell to a leaping, one-handed catch at fine leg as Somerset’s spinners kept a tight rein on the scoring rate but at 95 for three at the halfway point, The Blaze were on course.

The loss of Beaumont at 105 for four in the 27th over raised Somerset’s hopes, the former England international departing as Jess Hazell, diving forward, made a superb one-handed grab at deep mid-wicket.

But Sarah Bryce and Jones then took charge, consistently rotating the strike and judging the right moments to be aggressive. Bryce completed a half-century off 62 balls with three fours, Jones getting there from just 43 balls with seven fours.

“To come out with a bonus point win is always good. We said before the game we want to build towards getting ready for the final, when it counts, so I think we showed what we can do today. It wasn't a perfect game, but we fought really hard and that's what matters at the end,” Emma Jones of The Blaze said.

“You want to take full responsibility when it's your moment. You don't always get an opportunity in these things, so when it comes, you want to make sure.

“I’m quite positive, I've got a way of playing and sometimes, regardless of the situation, that's the best thing for me to do is go out there and play the way that I want to play.

“If I try and adapt too much to the situation, if I start worrying about the pitch, then I probably get myself into more trouble. This has been a really good year of being able to trust that a lot more and knowing that I've got everyone backing me.”