Kathryn Bryce celebrated her 50th appearance for the region by striking a composed 61 to maintain The Blaze’s unbeaten start to the Charlotte Edwards Cup.

With a tight bowling performance sandwiching an hour delay for heavy rain, the visiting Thunder side could only manage 151/6 from their 20 overs, Grace Ballinger the pick of the bunch with 2-25.

Entering the fray in the first over, Bryce found ample support in sister Sarah (24), Nadine de Klerk (25) and Ella Claridge (18*) as The Blaze won by five wickets.

After winning the toss in changeable conditions, Kirstie Gordon asked the visitors to bat, Ballinger rattling the stumps of Fi Morris in just the second over.

Sarah Smale followed shortly after, Lucy Higham and Sarah Bryce combining to run out the Lancashire number three before Gordon bowled her opposite number, Ellie Threlkeld, for seven.

That was the last of the action for over an hour as the forecasted showers arrived, play being suspended with the visitors on 53/3 after nine overs.

Upon the players’ return to the field, opener Emma Lamb (63*) found crucial middle order support from Danielle Collins and Ailsa Lister (44), adding stands of 27 and 73 for the fourth and fifth wicket respectively.

In spite of those quickfire partnerships, The Blaze’s bowlers ended the first twenty overs well, conceding just one boundary in the final three overs.

In response, England’s Marika Gaur accounted for Marie Kelly and Teresa Graves, but not before the latter had struck the first maximum of the contest.

The Bryce sisters, Kathryn and Sarah, who jointly received their 50th caps for the region before play joined forces to consolidate after those early losses, adding 47 runs for the third wicket.

Sarah departed for a 20-ball 28 as the experienced Nadine de Klerk joined Kathryn, the South African all-rounder smashing Collins into the Loughborough University campus as the duo looked to cycle through the gears.

Maximums began to rain around Haslegrove, Bryce smashing Hannah Jones for three in an over to bring up half-century, and the equation to less than a run a ball.

Despite the Scotland international falling for 61, the damage had already been done, the hosts winning with six balls to spare to return to the top of the table.

The T20 season now heads into a week of double headers, The Blaze back in action on Friday against local rivals Central Sparks (2:30pm), the first in two games at Trent Bridge as Notts Outlaws welcome Northamptonshire Steelbacks in the evening (6:30pm). Secure tickets for that fixture here.

Gordon’s side then head to Emirates Old Trafford for the return fixture against the Thunder, on Sunday 2 June after Lancashire Lightning welcome Derbyshire Falcons earlier in the day.