The Blaze were made to wait on their qualification hopes in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy after defeat at the hands of Central Sparks in the final group game.
Defending 166, the bowling unit battled all the way, but ultimately the visitors ran out five-wicket victors.
The result leaves The Blaze in fourth place, on 31 points after 14 games, with the result of Southern Vipers versus Sunrisers tomorrow determining whether the season continues or not.
Under the shadow of Chesterfield’s famous Crooked Spire, The Blaze lost Sarah Bryce in the second over having been put in to bat, well caught at point by Davina Perrin off Grace Potts.
Michaela Kirk and Kathryn Bryce didn’t let the early dismissal stem the flow of runs however, the pair adding 63 for the second wicket in just over 11 overs.
After being 68/1, The Blaze soon found themselves 92-6, as Charis Pavely dismissed Bryce (33), Emily Arnott accounted for Marie Kelly, Potts returned to remove Kirk (36) and debutant Hannah Hardwick took the wickets of Teresa Graves and Lucy Higham in consecutive deliveries.
Battling lower order partnerships, led by The Blaze’s leading RHFT run scorer Ella Claridge (19), skipper Kirstie Gordon (22) and Grace Ballinger (13*) stemmed the Sparks’ dominance as they aimed to see out the 50 overs.
Ultimately The Blaze would fall just short of that goal, Cassidy McCarthy the last to fall at the end of the 47th over, The Blaze all out for 166.
Ami Campbell began the Sparks’ chase in blistering fashion, hitting five fours in a 19-ball 23, before she chipped Lucy Higham to Kirk in the covers.
Ballinger, fresh off the back of a match-winning, four-wicket spell in Manchester, and Gordon, chalking up her 40th scalp of the summer, then reduced the visitors to 43-3 heading towards the end of the powerplay.
Kathryn Bryce bowled visiting skipper Abbey Freeborn, before a match-defining partnership between Katie George and Chloe Brewer took shape.
The pair took a liking to the Chesterfield surface, adding 55 in a little over ten overs, before Gordon returned to trap Brewer in front for 22.
The Blaze’s skipper ended her spell with 2-24 from her ten overs, as George looked content to play out the left-arm spinner.
The Sparks’ all-rounder continued to perfectly marshal the chase, completing her fifty and finding ample support in Pavely to see the visitors over the line by five wickets.
All eyes now turn to the game between Southern Vipers and Sunrisers in Southampton tomorrow, with a victory for the hosts (Vipers) required to send The Blaze through to the semi-finals in fourth place.