Hants extend lead, Blaze go second in T20 Blast

Hants extend lead, Blaze go second in T20 BlastImage source, ShutterstockImage caption, Maia Bouchier continued her fine form with the bat as Hampshire beat Durham in a top-of-the-table clashPublished11 minutes agoMaia Bouchier hit her fifth half-century of the month as Hampshire beat Durham by eight wickets to move two points clear at the top of the Women's T20 Blast table.The Blaze moved up to second place with captain Marie Kelly and Charli Knott both scoring half-centuries in a nine-wicket victory over Essex.Bryony Smith scored 63 as Surrey claimed a two-wicket win over Somerset with only four balls remaining to go third in the table.At the bottom end of the standings, Natasha Wraith scored 83 as Warwickshire beat fellow strugglers Lancashire by one run in a final-ball thriller at Blackpool.Women's T20 Blast fixtures and resultsWomen's T20 Blast tableBouchier hit 63, including seven fours and two sixes, as she dominated Hampshire's chase of 129 after Durham had scored 128-7 at the Utilita Bowl.Following the dismissal of captain Georgia Adams (22), Bouchier's 86-run partnership with Naomi Dattani made sure it was plain sailing, despite the opener losing her wicket with nine runs still required.Dattani made sure the target was cleared, scoring 33.Emily Windsor top-scored for the visitors with 30, but no-one else reached 20, as Bex Tyson (2-24) and Poppy Tulloch (2-28) took two wickets apiece.Durham dropped to fourth with defeat and wins for The Blaze and Surrey.At Chelmsford, Knott starred with bat and ball as The Blaze cruised past Essex with 4.1 overs remaining to claim a third consecutive win.The Australian all-rounder took 2-24, teaming up with fellow spinners Lucy Higham (3-24) and Maria Andrews (1-20) to restrict the home side to 136-9.She then contributed an unbeaten 54 from 35 balls, sharing an unbroken partnership of 95 with Kelly, who posted 55 not out – her first half-century of the tournament.Put in to bat, Essex lost three wic...