Magic Meg helps Bears clip Hawks' wings

THE Bears continued their strong form in the Women's Vitality Blast as they beat Hampshire Hawks by 13 runs at Edgbaston to record their third win in four games.

- By BRIAN HALFORD ECB REPORTERS NETWORK

Put in, the home side totalled 178 with Meg Austin making a polished T20-best 51 from 38 balls. Daisy Gibb took three for 25, her wickets all coming in the space of four balls in her third over to put a crucial brake on the Bears when they appeared to be heading for 200.

It was still a testing target for a Hampshire side missing the injured Ella McCaughan, scorer of a match-winning century against Essex last Thursday. They came in short at 165 for seven as only captain Georgia Adams (32, 31 balls) and Mary Taylor (31 not out, 17) passed 30 against a disciplined attack led by Millie Taylor (two for 19).