Georgia Elwiss’s half-century and Sarah Glenn’s three wickets were not enough for The Blaze to reach the Vitality Blast final as Bears edged out the eliminator by 20 runs.

Glenn had returned 3/29 as Bears, having opted to bat first, posted 163-8, but despite Elwiss’s 53 off 45 in response, The Blaze could only muster 143 all out.

England international Issy Wong hit 59 from 38 balls including two sixes, sharing a stand of 64 with Sterre Kalis (45), before taking figures of 4/14 as the Bears total proved out of reach.

Millie Taylor backed her up with 3/20, becoming the competition’s leading wicket-taker in the process as The Blaze were dismissed despite Elwiss’s 53 and a fighting 35 from Marie Kelly.

Davina Perrin was removed early, caught by Elwiss off Grace Ballinger for one, only for Wong to counter-attack in her 38-ball innings.

Wong cracked her first ball for four before being given out lbw, only for the decision to be overturned on review.

She would make the most of that let-off, powering the only two sixes off the innings over long-on and mid-wicket and playing wristy cuts to third and point in a half-century.

Meg Austin was brilliantly run out by quick work from Ella Claridge and Kathryn Bryce, but the Kalis-Wong axis wrestled the momentum in favour of Bears..

However, Glenn struck twice in successive balls, as Wong was caught by Bryce at cover and the dangerous Laura Harris fell first ball to a Josie Groves grab in the deep.

Glenn would return to clip Kallis’s off-bail and thereafter it needed Emily Arlott to muscle a few fours to get the target over eight an over.

Inspired by her batting, Wong produced a hard-to-face opening over, bowling England opener Tammy Beaumont.

Moments later, a rapid ball followed The Blaze’s leading run-scorer Bryce and took the glove through to wicketkeeper Natasha Wraith.

Kelly and Elwiss counter-attacked with a flurry of boundaries, the sweep and the cut in evidence as 27 came from overs four and five.

The 50-partnership came up in 29 balls, but the return of Arlott brought the breakthrough as Kelly (35) sliced to Perrin backward of point.

Spinners Taylor and Hannah Baker applied the squeeze and pressure told when Graham chipped one back to the former.

Wong returned to dismiss Sarah Bryce caught at long leg and Taylor bowled Claridge as the rate spiralled.

Glenn launched Amu Surenkumar for a huge straight six to the cheers of the Kia Oval crowd, but Taylor spreadeagled her stumps.

Though Elwiss completed a half century with her eighth four, she was stumped next ball as the task became too much.

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