Yahoo Sports Ruthless Stars snap Blaze's winning streak
South East Stars finally ended The Blaze's 100% record in the Charlotte Edwards Cup after flattening them for just 84 – the tournament's lowest total – to triumph by five wickets at Derby.
The Blaze, who had won their previous eight games, were swept away in 18.5 overs before second-placed Stars reached their target with 29 balls to spare.
Both teams had already made certain of qualification for Finals Day, which takes place next Saturday at the same venue.
In the tussle for third place, Central Sparks leapfrogged defending champions Southern Vipers after winning a low-scoring game at New Road by five wickets, their third straight success.
Northern Diamonds captain Hollie Armitage hit a 64-ball knock of 97 – the highest score of the competition – to steer her side to a 28-run victory against Western Storm at Headingley and lift them off the foot of the table.
The Blaze opted to bat first against South East Stars, but they were stunned as early wickets from Alexa Stonehouse (3-13) and Tilly Corteen-Coleman (2-19) reduced them to 12-4 in the powerplay.
Dani Gregory (2-15) and Ryana MacDonald-Gay (2-9) kept the pressure up and, despite Sarah Glenn's handy knock of 21 from 24, The Blaze were unable to mount a genuine fightback.
Glenn's leg-spin was employed as early as the third over of the Stars reply and she did her best to retrieve the situation with 3-14.
But Georgia Redmayne (23 from 26) kept the visitors on course and Emma Jones struck an unbeaten 30 from 15, finishing the job with a straight-driven six off Kirstie Gordon.
Central Sparks shared the wickets around as they rolled Southern Vipers for just 98 in 17.5 overs, with Bethan Ellis taking 2-11, Grace Potts and Ria Fackrell 2-13 apiece, and Katie George 2-18 to wrap up the innings.
Vipers were unable to build any partnerships of note, shedding wickets at regular intervals and, despite Rhianna Southby's sensible knock of 19 from 20 before she was last out pulling George to deep square leg, their total never looked adequate.
The home side set off at a rapid pace, with Lauren Bell's opening over going for 11 as Davina Perrin repeatedly found the boundary, racing to 26 from 17 until she was bowled by Charlie Dean.
Although Dean and Linsey Smith (2-13) slowed the Sparks' charge, Amy Jones (26 from 29) kept them on track and Courtney Webb applied the finishing touch with 31 balls unused, hitting an undefeated 21 from 16.
Armitage was in imperious mood after Northern Diamonds were put in by Western Storm, hammering five boundaries from a single Ellie Anderson over as she raced to a half-century from 30 balls.
The Diamonds skipper dominated her opening stand of 97 from 68 with Emma Marlow – who contributed just nine – and a well-deserved hundred seemed inevitable until she gifted a return catch to Storm off-spinner Chloe Skelton.
However, Sterre Kalis struck 22 from 26 to lift the home side to 146-3 and Rachel Slater (2-25) provided them with an ideal start when Storm began the chase, ripping out two wickets in the first over.
Fran Wilson (42 from 44) led a recovery but, once she was caught in the deep off Katherine Fraser, Storm's hopes faded and they subsided to 118-7, with Katie Levick taking 2-13 and Sophia Turner 2-19.
