Jones Delivers in the Finest of Finals
Women's cricket does not get much more dramatic than this. Emma Jones, with two runs still required from the very last ball of the match, pulled Daisy Gibb's delivery to the boundary to clinch the Women's One-Day Cup for The Blaze and complete one of the most memorable domestic trebles in recent English cricket history. The venue was the Utilita Bowl, the occasion was immense, and Jones rose to every inch of it, finishing unbeaten on 34 from just 25 deliveries in a performance that will be talked about for years to come.
Hampshire Set a Competitive Target
Asked to bat first after Blaze captain Kirstie Gordon won the toss, Hampshire began cautiously before Ella McCaughan and Maia Bouchier found their stride with an 84-run opening partnership from 106 balls. Bouchier, who had struck centuries in each of her previous two innings, looked threatening before picking out the long-on fielder attempting to repeat a favoured drive off Lucy Higham. Hampshire skipper Georgia Adams departed cheaply, holing out to mid-off from another Higham delivery, but McCaughan pressed on to a composed 78 before being trapped lbw by Grace Ballinger.
Freya Kemp injected some much-needed momentum, launching the spinners over the top and striking the first six of the innings on her way to 52 from 46 balls, yet she too was undone — stumped off Higham, who finished with an excellent 4-49. Charley Phillips chipped in with 3-38 as wickets tumbled in a clump, and Gordon herself produced a stunning one-handed catch at mid-on to dismiss Naomi Dattani. Gibb and Poppy Tulloch scrambled Hampshire past 250 in the closing overs, leaving the final total at 251-9 — a score that looked more than competitive once the Blaze's middle order began to crumble.
Blaze Wobble Before Jones Steps Up
The chase appeared well in hand when Tammy Beaumont struck 74 and Georgia Elwiss contributed 64, giving The Blaze a platform that suggested a comfortable victory was on the cards. But Hampshire's spinners had other ideas. Amanda-Jade Wellington's figures of 3-36, combined with Bex Tyson's 2-46, triggered a collapse of four wickets for just 29 runs and suddenly the complexion of the match had shifted entirely. With 30 still required from the final three overs, those who had backed The Blaze on the outright winner market would have been reaching for something stronger than tea.
That is precisely where Jones made her mark. Calm, measured and utterly composed under the most intense pressure, she steered her side closer with each delivery she faced before that defining moment off the final ball. It was the kind of innings that defines careers, and on this occasion it defined a season.
A Historic Treble and More Hampshire Heartbreak
For The Blaze, this One-Day Cup triumph completes a treble that also includes the T20 Blast and County Cup titles — an extraordinary achievement across all three formats in a single campaign. For Hampshire, it is a second successive final defeat on home soil, having lost the 2025 edition to Lancashire, which will make the pain particularly sharp.
From a coaching perspective, what impresses me most about The Blaze is the variety of match-winners they possess across their squad. Gordon's captaincy was astute throughout, and the bowling attack showed character when it mattered. This is a side built for sustained success, and English women's cricket is all the richer for them.
