The Blaze completed an extraordinary domestic treble by narrowly defeating Hampshire in a nail‑biting finish to claim the Metro Bank One Day Cup women’s tournament. The Trent Bridge outfit had already lifted the Vitality Blast and the Vitality T20 County Cup earlier in the season, and this final added a third silverware to an already historic campaign. The climax of the one‑day final was a dramatic chase of 252 runs. After a solid start, the Blaze found themselves in a precarious position, needing 17 runs from the final two overs and then just two runs from the very last delivery.
It was Emma Jones who rose to the occasion, smashing an unbeaten 34 off 25 balls and striking the decisive runs that secured the win. Her heroics came after earlier contributions from Tammy Beaumont and Georgia Elwiss, both of whom had already posted half‑centuries in the chase.
On the bowling side, Lucy Higham delivered a match‑winning spell, taking 4 for 49 and helping to restrict Hampshire to 251. Hampshire, who were also the runners‑up in the 2025 edition, posted a respectable total thanks to fifties from Ella McCaughan and Freya Kemp. The Blaze won the toss and, with the disciplined bowling of Grace Ballinger and Charley Phillips, managed to keep the scoring rate low in the first five overs, conceding just 11 runs. Hampshire’s opening partnership, however, began to gain momentum.
Maia Bouchier, who had been in sensational form throughout the season, and McCaughan built a solid 84‑run stand. McCaughan, playing her first fifty since June, displayed confident strokeplay, anchoring the innings. Bouchier, after being dismissed for a duck, could not extend her own run of centuries and was caught on the long‑on boundary shortly after Georgia Adams attempted a powerful straight‑hit to mid‑off, both dismissals falling to Higham.
The middle overs saw the hosts consolidate their advantage. McCaughan and Kemp forged a 67‑run partnership, taking the score to 166‑2 by the 32nd over. Yet The Blaze’s experience and tactical acumen began to turn the tide.
Higham claimed two crucial wickets in quick succession – she trapped Kemp with a stumping and then dismissed Naomi Dattani, who was caught brilliantly by Kirstie Gordon at mid‑on. Gordon, a spinner who has taken 14 wickets in eight matches since returning from The Hundred, recorded her third four‑wicket haul of the season with figures of 4‑49. Charley Phillips added to Hampshire’s collapse, removing Rhianna Southby, Abi Norgrove and Amanda‑Jade Wellington in three consecutive overs.
The relentless pressure forced Hampshire to finish on 251, leaving The Blaze with a target of 252 to win. In response, the chase began with an aggressive partnership between Sarah Bryce and Tammy Beaumont. Over the first 15 overs they dismantled the bowling attack, putting on 95 runs with apparent ease. Wellington attempted to stem the flow by dismissing both Bryce sisters in a single over – Sarah was caught at deep square leg, while Kathryn Bryce fell spectacularly to a slip catch.
Beaumont, a former England opener, continued to dominate, surviving three drop chances and a stumping opportunity. Her innings, which marked her fifth half‑century of the campaign, ended when she was given out lbw to Wellington, triggering a quick flurry of three wickets in just 26 balls. With 30 runs still required, the pressure mounted. Kirstie Gordon was caught, leaving the equation at 17 runs needed from the final two overs.
Emma Jones, already settled at the crease, took charge. She unleashed a reverse pull and a crisp straight drive that both raced to the boundary, easing the tension. Although a run‑out occurred on the third ball of the final over, Jones remained composed and, with a sweeping four on the very last ball, sealed a victory that sent the Blaze’s supporters into rapturous celebration. The win not only completed a domestic treble for The Blaze but also highlighted the depth of talent within the squad.
Emma Jones’s composure under pressure, Lucy Higham’s incisive spell, and the strategic brilliance of the captaincy all combined to produce a memorable finale. The Blaze’s journey this season, marked by consistent performances across formats, underscores their status as one of the premier women’s cricket teams in England. Their triumph in the Metro Bank One Day Cup adds a fitting capstone to a season that will be remembered for its resilience, skill, and the ability to deliver when it mattered most.