Surrey leave Trent-Bridge with two points despite promising beginnings thanks to continuous rain.
The Blaze and Surrey Women had to settle for two points each in their quest for semi-final places in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup after rain washed out much of their clash at Trent Bridge.
After a 50-minute delay to the start, only 16 overs could be bowled before a heavy downpour forced the players off the field. Lunch was taken and a break in the weather raised hopes that the match might resume but with rain returning, umpires Neil Mallender and Neil Pratt decided no more play would be possible shortly after 2pm.
Surrey Women, who lifted the first Vitality Blast women’s title in July and arrived here looking for a fifth win in six matches in this competition, were the more frustrated at the outcome, having seized the initiative to have The Blaze in trouble at 66 for five.
It is the second time in the competition that Surrey and The Blaze have had to share the points, albeit in very different conditions from the first. When they met at Beckenham in May, the match ended in a tie with both sides finishing their 50 overs on 346 for nine.
Surrey’s decision to bowl on winning the toss here was rewarded with three Blaze wickets in the first six overs.
Alexa Stonehouse, the left-arm seamer, conceded four boundaries in her opening two overs but still dismissed Sarah Bryce, well caught at deep square leg attempting to pull a second four off the fifth delivery of the day, and Georgie Boyce, leg before to a much better ball that nipped back.
Left-arm spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman turned one to remove another batting threat in Kathryn Bryce, seamer Alice Monaghan was the beneficiary as Ireland international Orla Prendergast flicked straight to deep square and Michaela Kirk played across one to be lbw to off-spinner Kalea Moore, leaving the home side 55 for five and with much to do to avoid defeat.
As it is, The Blaze remain third in the points table and maintain a four-point advantage over Surrey in fourth. Both are well placed to clinch a top-four finish with three matches to come.
The top four qualify for the semi-finals, with first and second places, occupied by Hampshire and Lancashire before today’s fixtures, gaining home advantage.
