Lucy Higham described her career-best performance with the ball as 'extra special', after playing a starring role in The Blaze's first-ever outing at Trent Bridge.

Higham hit an important 24 before claiming 5/19 as her side opened their account with a 59-run victory over Central Sparks.

“It was a good toss to win from Kirstie on a used wicket that was a bit testing, especially towards the end," she said.

"That innings from Tammy set us up nicely and though our score was a little bit under par, we knew we could make an impact with our bowling attack.

“And we bowled well, put the squeeze on and took wickets at the right times, so they never got going.

"I didn’t feel like I bowled too well in my first few overs, so I thought it was going to be a long shift, but then it started to spin and I felt like I was in the game.

 

 

“In the end, it was probably the best I’ve bowled and with it being here, at Trent Bridge, it was extra special, but the main thing was that we started as The Blaze with a win."

The victory came some five months after the team's move to Trent Bridge - and Higham feels the period of preparation over the winter, allied to lessons learned from seasons gone by, bore fruit in the curtain-raiser.

"Guesty [Chris Guest, Head Coach] said in the warm-up that this feels like something we’ve been building to for a number of years, so to go out and win in that fashion is really promising," she said.

"We’ve been on the wrong side of some performances where it was just a matter of getting over the line, which is why it is important to start with a win.

"Personally, I was pretty nervous today – I worked pretty hard this winter, but going out there and playing is always a different ball game to being in the nets.

"But I could take confidence from the girls in the field, with the way they were throwing themselves into things."

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The Blaze's return to Trent Bridge

Trent Bridge's newest residents return home on Sunday 4 June, as part of a T20 double-header with Notts Outlaws.

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