The Blaze Women beat Hampshire Women in the ECB Women’s One-Day Cup Final
© Hampshire Cricket
Metro Bank One-Day Cup, women’s competition – Hampshire 251/9 lost to The Blaze 254/7 by three wickets
By Alex Smith, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
The Blaze secured a domestic treble by edging a last-ball thriller with Hampshire to win the Metro Bank One Day Cup women’s competition.
The Trent Bridge-based side had already lifted the Vitality Blast and Vitality T20 County Cup but were forced to dig deep after needing 17 from the last two overs and then two off the final ball.
Emma Jones was the hero with an unbeaten 34 from 25 balls and scored the winning runs – after Tammy Beaumont and Georgia Elwiss had scored half-centuries in the chase of 252.
Earlier, Lucy Higham had taken four for 49 to help restrict Hampshire – who were also losing finalists in 2025 – to 251, with Ella McCaughan and Freya Kemp whacking fifties in vein.
The Blaze won the toss and, through the miserliness of Grace Ballinger and Charley Phillips, only allowed 11 runs in the first five overs.
But Hampshire’s opening pair of the super-in-form Maia Bouchier and McCaughan slow began to turn the tide in their direction with an 84-run stand.
McCaughan confidently pinged the ball around for her first fifty since June.
Bouchier, who was dropped on a duck, couldn’t make it three centuries in a row when she holed out to long on before Georgia Adams slapped straight to mid off shortly afterwards – both to Higham.
The hosts kicked back as McCaughan and Kemp dominated the middle overs with a 67-run stand and were 166 for two in the 32nd over. But The Blaze used their final nous to pull things back.
Higham added wickets three and four of the afternoon by having Freya Kemp stumped and Naomi Dattani caught brilliantly by Kirstie Gordon and mid on.
The spinner has taken 14 wickets in eight matches since the return from The Hundred – with this four for 49, her third four-for in that period.
Pacer Phillips dismissed Rhianna Southby, Abi Norgrove and Amanda-Jade Wellington in three overs in a row, as Hampshire slumped and could only reach 251.
In response, Sarah Bryce and Tammy Beaumont made mincemeat of the bowlers for 15 overs, as they strode towards the target.
The pair put on 95 with relative ease, and then Wellington spun things by seeing off both Bryce sisters in an over – Sarah was caught at deep square before Kathryn was superbly caught at slip.
Beaumont, with the help of Georgia Elwiss, kept things ticking, although the former England opener lived a charmed life – she was dropped three times and also survived a stumping chance.
Her luck ran out, having scored her fifth half-century of the campaign, when she was lbw to Wellington – sparking three wickets to fall in 26 balls.
And with 30 still needed, Gordon was caught. It meant there was 17 required from the last two overs, but Jones took the sting out of things.
A ridiculous reverse pull and a straight drive both went to the boundary, and despite a run out with the third ball, Jones took her side to victory with a swept four off the final ball of a nerve-filled match.
The Blaze spinner and Player of the Match Lucy Higham:
“It has been a long season with a lot of hard work so to get here for the final game of the season and get a victory like that…That is what you want from a 50-over final. It went all the way there were ups and downs, there were times Hampshire were nailed on to win it and times we were in the ascendancy. It is surreal it went down to the wire.
“I was more nervous when I got out and had to sit there and watch. I refused to watch. I sat next to Kirstie [Gordon] and told her to let me know what happens. Emma Jones was incredibly calm.
“This group has been together for a long time through Lightning and into Blaze. We didn’t have much success as Loughborough Lightning but once you win a final you learn how to win. I’m glad we came out on the right side of it.
“I can’t pick my favourite [trophy this season]! The Blast was a mad day out. The County Cup was a long day. But to win a 50 over competition you have to be so consistent.
“Everyone has been fantastic when they have come in and they’ve all done a job. This one has probably been most satisfying.”
Hampshire captain Georgia Adams:
“This one probably hurt the most [than last year]. The team has been exceptional all season. We have lost to a team that has been the best in this format this season. It was a great game of cricket and a great battle, and if we were ultra critical, we had moments we had a grasp on the game but sadly it didn’t go our way.
“To go down to the last ball was pretty brutal today. There are a few players who were pretty upset because they gave their all.
“I don’t think we can compete with The Blaze in terms of experience. I’m not using age as an excuse but we are trying to educate our players to be a bit more cricket savvy. We need to be better under pressure.
“I think that is where The Blaze are ahead of us and they have done so well this season because people have stepped up at different times. They’ve got such a senior core at the team and so much depth. “
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