Abbey Freeborn continued her good Vitality Blast form, but it wasn’t enough to see Warwickshire Bears to victory as they fell to a four-wicket defeat against in-form The Blaze.
The Bears, who fought their way back into the game on Wednesday afternoon with the ball before The Blaze reached their total with four balls remaining, are now without a win in their opening three games in the competition.
Freeborn had helped to lay the foundation for the Bears to post 168 for eight from their 20 overs.
The right-handed batter notched her second 50 in three games, scoring 56 off 45 balls as part of a 95-run opening stand with Meg Austin.
“I’m quite pleased with how I’m batting, but I don’t think about it too much because we’re not getting over the line in games at the minute,” she said.
“This is such a good group. We showed that last year with how well we went to get into the final.
“We’ve got so much more to give, and each game we’re getting closer to getting that win, but it wasn’t quite to be today.”
The Bears were put into bat on another red-hot day at Edgbaston and reached 168 thanks largely to Freeborn and Austin’s efforts at the top of the order.
Amu Surenkumar contributed with an entertaining 27 from 15 balls late on to boost the Bears’ total after the team had stuttered in the middle overs.
In reply, The Blaze reached 94 for one at the halfway mark, but were pegged back by both Surenkumar, who took two wickets in an over before the score reached 100, and then again by Mary Taylor, whose two in two balls in the penultimate over gave the Bears late belief.
Despite slipping to defeat, Freeborn insists the team isn’t too far away, and that they can take plenty from the fight shown with the ball.
“I think that’s something we can be really proud of, how we fought until the last over,” she added.
“Mary taking two in two in the second to last over to really bring us back into it.
“It’s still disappointing and it’s not how we wanted to start this competition, but we’re showing really good signs.”
Bears Women return to Vitality Blast action on Friday 29 May when they travel to Durham for a 2:30pm start.