The Blaze suffered their first defeat of this season’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy as Tazmin Brits led South East Stars to victory at Mansfield.
South Africa opener Brits hit 85 off 63 balls as the Stars chased down a target of 160 to win by two wickets on 161-8.
The home side slumped to 19-3 and 62-6 and were finally bowled out for 159 despite 56 from Teresa Graves.
Stars also lost early wickets but Brits followed 112 not out against Sunrisers with another match-winning knock.
The game was reduced to 48 overs per side because of a rain interruption during the Blaze innings.
Having won the toss and chosen to bat, they lost Marie Kelly, Georgie Boyce and Kathryn Bryce – the latter two for ducks – inside the first seven overs of their innings, two dismissed by Freya Davies.
Sarah Bryce made 24 but the only substantial partnership was between Graves and Sophie Munro, who put on 61 for the seventh wicket before the latter was caught at mid-on for 15 in the 39th over.
Graves followed shortly after, a second victim for Alice Davidson-Richards, and Davies completed figures of 3-28 by bowling Lucy Higham before the innings came to an end.
Stars made a bad start in reply as Stonehouse was run out by Michaela Kirk’s direct hit at the bowler’s end in the sixth over and they soon found themselves 30-3.
Davidson-Richards helped steady the innings with 20 in a stand of 55 with Brits and Paige Scholfield contributed 17 as Brits continued to go for her shots.
She hit three sixes and 10 fours and when she was caught off Grace Ballinger (3-25) only six more runs were needed for victory.
Stars also lost Ryana MacDonald-Gay before Davies hit a boundary off Kirstie Gordon to secure their fifth win of the competition with 13.3 overs to spare.
Next fixtures
Saturday, 22 July (all 10:30 BST start)
Worcester: Central Sparks v Sunrisers
Beckenham: South East Stars v Western Storm
Arundel: Southern Vipers v Northern Diamonds
Sedbergh: Thunder v The Blaze
