The Blaze completed a remarkable domestic treble by edging out Hampshire in a nail‑biting one‑day final that was decided on the very last ball. The Trent Bridge‑based outfit had already added the Vitality Blast and the Vitality T20 County Cup to their trophy cabinet, but the One‑Day Cup final proved to be the toughest test of the season. With 17 runs required from the final two overs and just two runs needed off the very last delivery, the match seemed to hang in the balance until Emma Jones stepped up and delivered an unbeaten 34 runs off 25 balls, sealing the win for The Blaze after Tammy Beaumont and Georgia Elwiss had already laid a solid foundation with half‑centuries in the chase of 252. The innings began with The Blaze winning the toss and electing to field.
Their bowlers, led by the economical spell of Grace Ballinger and Charley Phillips, kept Hampshire to a miserly 11 runs in the first five overs, creating early pressure. However, the opening partnership of Maia Bouchier and Ella McCaughan soon steadied the ship, stitching together an 84‑run stand that began to shift momentum toward the visitors. McCaughan, who had not reached a fifty since June, found her rhythm and began to ping the ball around the ground, eventually reaching her first half‑century of the season. Hampshire’s momentum was briefly halted when Bouchier, after being dropped on a duck, failed to convert her good form into a third consecutive century, being caught on the long‑on boundary just before Georgia Adams drove a straight ball to mid‑off, both dismissals credited to Lucy Higham.
The Blaze, buoyed by the early wickets, continued to apply pressure, and the middle order of McCaughan and Freya Kemp built a further 67‑run partnership, taking the score to 166‑2 by the 32nd over. At this point, The Blaze’s bowlers began to reassert their dominance. Lucy Higham produced a match‑turning spell, claiming four wickets for 49 runs. She removed Kemp via a stumping and later trapped Naomi Dattani with a superb catch by Kirstie Gordon at mid‑on.
Gordon, 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. Meanwhile, pacer Charley Phillips delivered a devastating three‑over burst, dismissing Rhianna Southby, Abi Norgrove and Amanda‑Jade Wellington in successive deliveries, effectively collapsing Hampshire’s batting line‑up and leaving them all‑out for 251. With a target of 252 now set, The Blaze’s chase began in earnest. Openers Sarah Bryce and Tammy Beaumont took charge, dismantling the remaining bowlers over a 15‑over spell and adding a rapid 95‑run partnership.
Their aggressive intent put the required run rate well within reach. However, Wellington fought back for Hampshire, breaking through the Bryce sisters in a single over: Sarah Bryce was caught at deep square leg, and her sister Kathryn was dismissed in a spectacular slip catch. Despite these setbacks, Beaumont, the former England opener, continued to anchor the innings.
She was fortunate to survive three dropped catches and a stumping chance, but her luck finally ran out when she was given out lbw to Wellington after scoring her fifth half‑century of the campaign. Her dismissal triggered a mini‑collapse, with three wickets falling in just 26 balls.
With the scoreboard reading 225‑6, The Blaze still required 30 more runs. Gordon fell caught, leaving the side with 17 runs needed from the final two overs. Emma Jones, who had already contributed a quickfire 34, took the responsibility onto her shoulders.
She struck a massive reverse pull and a clean straight drive, both reaching the boundary, and even after being involved in a run‑out on the third ball of the over, she kept her composure. The climax arrived on the very last ball of the match when Jones executed a perfect sweep, sending the ball racing to the boundary for four runs and clinching a one‑run victory for The Blaze. The triumph not only secured a domestic treble for The Blaze but also highlighted the depth and resilience of their squad. Emma Jones emerged as the hero of the day, her unbeaten 34 proving decisive in a chase that seemed almost impossible at one stage.
The combined efforts of high‑impact bowlers like Lucy Higham, Kirstie Gordon, and Charley Phillips, alongside the steady batting of Beaumont, Elwiss, and Jones, showcased a balanced side capable of performing under pressure. Beyond the statistics, the match provided a vivid illustration of the ebb and flow inherent in limited‑overs cricket. Early bowling dominance, a solid partnership to steady the innings, a middle‑order surge, a dramatic collapse, and a final heroic finish—all elements combined to create a classic final that will be remembered by fans of women’s cricket for years to come.
The Blaze’s ability to dig deep, adapt their strategies, and execute under extreme pressure underscores why they have become one of the premier teams in English domestic cricket, and their treble‑winning season will serve as a benchmark for future squads aiming for sustained success.