Blaze on fire
Speaking to WCM on the eve of the season, Kirstie Gordon, the new skipper of Blaze, described this summer as a “fresh beginning” for her rebranded side. Formerly known as Lightning, last season they had finished rock bottom of their group in the 20-over Charlotte Edwards Cup and managed just two wins from seven matches in the 50- over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy (RHFT). Having succeeded Kathryn Bryce as captain, Gordon was careful to manage expectations.
“We want to win trophies, that’s our number one aim,” said the leftarm spinner, “but we finished in the bottom half of both competitions in the last few years so we’re trying to get ourselves in the top half, get to a semi-final, and from there anything can happen.”
Those expectations may be shifting after Blaze’s superb start to the season. In the RHFT, the Trent Bridge-based side sit top after the first phase of fixtures, winning three from five with two games abandoned, and they also lead the way in the T20 comp at the time of writing, with four victories from four.