Warwickshire Bears posted a third successive Vitality Blast Women victory as they eased to victory over Essex at Edgbaston.

Essex could only manage 116 for 8 from their innings, having elected to bat first, and they found themselves 31 for 4 by the end of the powerplay which included just two boundaries – the first of those only came after 23 deliveries.

Amu Surenkumar (3 for 22) led the way with the ball as the Bears tore through the visiting top order and, despite the efforts of Jo Gardner and Liberty Heap who put on 51 in the middle overs, Essex never truly recovered from the early damage.

The Bears, in reply, surrendered wickets in their powerplay too, but thanks in no small part to the steady nerves displayed by Georgia Redmayne (43 not out from 41 balls) and despite the efforts of Eva Gray (3 for 29) with the ball, they reached their target with time to spare.

Em Arlott, who only made her return to action after a two-month injury absence on Sunday, struck with her first ball to remove Alice Macleod and then she took a smart catch to dismiss Bryony Gillgrass.

Michaela Kirk and Anneke Bosch both departed to Surenkumar within five balls and progress proved slow initially for Gardner (33 from 32 balls) and Heap (23 from 24 balls) who had Essex 45 for 4 at the midway stage of their innings, having elected to bat.

Gardner took the initiative from there and sent Surenkumar to the boundary twice in as many balls to bring up a 49-ball half-century partnership, prompting hope in the Essex camp that the pair could nudge the visitors up to a defendable score.

Just as they were planning to accelerate in the final throes, Bears captain Georgia Davis successfully appealed for an LBW to claim the wicket of Gardner and, a couple of deliveries later, she tempted Heap into popping the ball into the safe hands of Georgia Redmayne at point.

Those wickets firmly put the brakes back on Essex’s innings, bookended by collapses either side of the stabilising partnership, though there were lower order runs which came from the bat of Sophie Munro (22 not out from 18 balls) to push Essex up to a meagre-looking total of 116.

They did, however, make early in-roads when Munro snared both Katie George (0) and Nat Wraith (10) cheaply. Abigail Freeborn (17 from 9 balls) also had to go when held at short third during captain Gray’s first over, but not before applying a dent in the target when she peppered the boundary from Munro’s bowling.

Gray struck again to dismiss Arlott (9) and then castled Surenkumar (8) when she failed in her attempts to scoop over the shoulder of keeper Ariana Dowse, but Chloe Brewer (15 not out from 12 balls) and Redmayne completed the job thereafter with minimal fuss and with five wickets and four overs to spare.