The Blaze vs Central Sparks Match Prediction

The Blaze would be hoping to make a grand debut as a rebranded side in the newly expanded Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy when they take on Central Sparks in the tournament opener on April 22, with the encounter scheduled to begin at 3 PM IST. The encounter, slated to take place at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, would feature The Blaze as the favourites given their dominant record over their upcoming opponents.

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Facts

• Central Sparks have never beaten The Blaze (previously known as Lightning) in a 50-over game.
• Only once did The Blaze manage to keep the opposition under 200 in the previous edition of the RHFT as compared to three successful efforts by Central Sparks.

The Blaze vs Central Sparks Chance of Winning

Despite one disappointing finish after other in the three Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy seasons that have gone by, The Blaze have always managed to get the better of Central Sparks in all their fixtures in the tournament. That being said, the Sparks have not had much success in the 50-over league either, only managing one playoff appearance in the nascent competition. With a new name and identity, The Blaze would be hoping to trump their past demons and use a reinforced squad to further extend their winning record against the Sparks come Saturday.

• The Blaze’s chances of winning @ 55%
• Central Sparks’ chances of winning @ 45%

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The Blaze vs Central Sparks Prediction & Betting Tips 2023

Since coming into being in 2020, The Blaze have taken on Central Sparks on four occasions in 50-over encounters, tallying three wins while their latest clash had to be abandoned without a ball being bowled. While their first contest was a closely contested affair that resulted in a six-run victory for Blaze, the following two clashes were more one-sided games as reflected in the winning margins of 55 runs and 24 runs respectively.

Katherine Bryce has been the torchbearer for The Blaze outfit, being both their highest run-scorer and wicket-taker in the 50-over format of the game. With all England internationals confirmed to be available for the tournament as preparation for The Ashes, set to take place across June and July, The Blaze would have in their ranks local stalwart Natalie Sciver Brunt. Ever since her return from a brief break from professional cricket, the 30-year-old has come out all guns blazing for both the national team as well as in franchise competitions such as the inaugural Women’s Premier League.

Central Sparks, meanwhile, find themselves in a spot of both with batting-unit leader Evelyn Jones out of touch and with no professional cricketing action to her name since June 2022. The side’s leading wicket-taker Emily Arlott has not fared much better either in recent times and even failed to bag a WPL contract for herself despite being placed in the highest-value bracket. Thus, The Blaze would be entering the tournament high on morale on the back of in-form star players, well aware the scales are tilted in their favour when the weekend rolls around.

The Blaze vs Central Sparks Match Toss Prediction

In the 48 ODIs that have taken place at Trent Bridge, 25 have been won by the team chasing as compared to 21 triumphs for the side batting first. Given only one Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy encounter has been played out at the venue across three years, which ended up being curtailed and decided by the DLS Method, the international trend is the most reliable metric to follow for the upcoming encounter. Thus, the skipper winning the coin flip on Saturday must bowl first to have the best shot at victory.

Weather Report

A cold and damp Saturday has been forecast in Nottingham, with continuous rain starting at 5 AM in the morning and continuing until 11 AM with showers to return in patches throughout the day as well, according toWorldweatheronline. At no point during the day is the temperature expected to cross the 10°C mark with cloud cover largely staying upwards of 80% albeit a couple of brief sunny periods during the encounter may see the skies clear up for an hour at a time. Thus, expect the weather to interrupt the games on several occasions with high chances of a washout.

The Blaze News & Player List

The Blaze Player List

The Blaze squad:Kathryn Bryce, Grace Ballinger, Tammy Beaumont, Georgie Boyce, Sarah Bryce, Ella Claridge, Nadine de Klerk, Sarah Glenn, Kirstie Gordon, Teresa Graves, Josie Groves, Beth Harmer, Lucy Higham, Marie Kelly, Michaela Kirk, Cassidy McCarthy, Sophie Munro, Nat Sciver-Brunt

Predicted Playing XI

Tammy Beaumont	Batter
Beth Harmer	All-rounder
Nat Sciver-Brunt	All-rounder
Michaela Kirk	All-rounder
Lucy Higham	All-rounder
Ella Claridge	Batter and Wicketkeeper
Kathryn Bryce	All-rounder
Teresa Graves	All-rounder
Kirstie Gordon	Bowler
Grace Ballinger	Bowler

The Blaze Team Form

The Blaze, known as the Lightning until the previous edition of the tournament, had ended their campaign in 2022 with a loss against the South East Stars, their record thus reading two victories and four losses alongside a solitary no result.

Central Sparks News & Player List

Central Sparks Player List

Central Sparks squad:Eve Jones, Emily Arlott, Hannah Baker, Chloe Brewer, Erin Burns, Ami Campbell, Poppy Davies, Georgia Davis, Bethan Ellis, Ria Fackrell, Abbey Freeborn, Katie George, Amy Jones, Anisha Patel, Davina Perrin, Grace Potts, Liz Russell, Issy Wong

Predicted Playing XI

Eve Jones	All-rounder
Davina Perrin	All-rounder
Abbey Freeborn	Batter
Ami Campbell	Batter
Amy Jones	Batter and Wicketkeeper
Erin Burns	All-rounder
Bethan Ellis	Batter
Emily Arlott	Bowler
Issy Wong	Bowler
Georgia Davis	Bowler
Grace Potts	Bowler

Central Sparks Team Form

Central Sparks had exactly the same record as Lightning in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2022, with two wins, four losses and a no result, albeit they did cap off the tournament with a victory against the wooden spoon-bearers Sunrisers.

The Blaze vs Central Sparks Head to Head

The Blaze have played Central Sparks four times in the 50-over format of the game, winning on three occasions while the latest encounter ended in a no-result due to rain.

One Days played - 4

The Blaze win(s) - 3

Central Sparks win(s) - 0

No result(s) - 1

The Blaze vs Central Sparks Betting Odds

The Blaze to hit more sixes than Central Sparks

Last season, The Blaze had managed 112 boundaries in six RHFT fixtures, averaging nearly boundaries per game. Central Sparks, on the other, managed to hit the ball to the ropes only 112 times, averaging exactly one boundary less than their rivals per fixture. When the two sides last faced off in 2021, the Lightning had struck 36 fours while conceding only 31 against Central Sparks – that too when the former were without the all-round talents of Natalie Sciver Brunt. Thus, The Blaze are clearly the more attacking side of the two and are the favourites to dispatch more fours on Saturday.

The Blaze vs Central Sparks Top Team Batters

Natalie Sciver Brunt to be The Blaze’s top batter

Natalie Sciver Brunt set the world of women’s cricket ablaze the last time she took the field, in the Women’s Premier League, leading Mumbai Indians to the inaugural title with a match-winning 60 off just 55 deliveries. The knock, alongside a blistering 70 off just 38 balls in the previous encounter, helped her end the tournament as the second-highest run-getter with 332 at an average of 66.40, only 13 runs shy of Meg Lanning’s record. The 29-year-old has a century and four half-centuries in her last six ODIs, taking her career tally to over 3,000 runs at a hugely impressive average of 42.98. Thus, there is little debate as to who the team’s star turn would be when one of the best players in women’s cricket history is in their ranks.

Amy Jones to be Central Sparks’ top batter

Hardly has a legend with as big a stature as Sarah Taylor been replaced in transition better than Amy Jones has, as far as the England team is concerned. The wicket-keeper batter has 11 half-centuries to her name in 65 ODI innings, despite coming lower down the order in a power-packed batting lineup. With the RHFT set to offer her a better platform to showcase her talents, Jones looks all set to grab the limelight, especially given her recent form. The 29-year-old’s last outing came in the World T20 earlier in the year, where she struck 47 and 40 against Pakistan and India respectively in two of her last three knocks in the tournament. Jones also has four 30-plus scores to her name in her last five ODIs, including an unbeaten 70 against West Indies, her run-tally across the period reading 199 at an excellent average of 66.33. With her team’s other star batter Evelyn Jones going through a slump, with a paltry 34 runs to her name across her last five innings, all of Sparks’ hopes would be pinned on Amy Jones to lead them with the bat.

The Blaze vs Central Sparks Top Team Bowlers

Kathryn Bryce to be The Blaze’s top bowler

Kathryn Bryce was breathing fire in the recently concluded Fairbreak Invitational T20, ending the tournament as the leading wicket-taker with 13 scalps in six games at a stunning average of 9.07. The right-arm pacer produced sensational returns of 3/16 in the final to lead her team Warriors to the title, further cementing her status as the best women’s bowler in Associate cricket. The 25-year-old has 26 T20I wickets to her name at an average of 16.11 and a brilliant economy of 4.16, plaudits that have earned her the honour of being the only non-English captain in the RHFT. Bryce has not gone wicketless in her last six encounters, including two three-wicket hauls, and is expected to be even more lethal in the longest format of the game. Thus, expect her to top the bowling charts when the time for action comes in Nottingham.

Issy Wong to be Central Sparks’ top bowler

Among the best pacers in world cricket at the moment, Issy Wong cemented herself as the most promising young bowler in the world with 14 wickets in 10 WPL games at an average of 14, ending as the joint-second leading wicket-taker in the franchise league. The right-arm quick grew in confidence as the tournament progressed and ended with a bang, scalping seven wickets in her last two games on the back of a four-wicket and a three-wicket haul. At the ripe age of 20, Wong has already represented England in all formats of the game and at the RHFT 2023, the stage is ripe for her to have her first breakthrough domestic 50-over season.

Our Prediction

Favorites to win: The Blaze

The Blaze feature in their ranks as many as seven internationally capped players, including emerging South African all-rounder Nadine de Klerk and English veteran Natalie Sciver Brunt. Their dominance over the Sparks can be understood by the fact that the teams’ highest score in the tournament as well as the highest individual score by a Blaze player have both come against their upcoming opponents. Thus, all things considered, The Blaze would start the match in discussion as favourites, and that is the direction the bookies are likely to take as well once the odds are released.

• The Blaze to win @ 1.87
• Central Sparks to win @ 1.87

Shankar Shekh

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