The Blaze 92 for 3 (K Bryce 38*, Jones 22, Monaghan 2-13) beat Surrey 91 for 8 (Chathli 25, K Bryce 4-18) by seven wickets
The Blaze made history by completing a domestic T20 double on a rain-affected Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup Finals Day at Old Trafford.
After crushing Essex in a semi-final reduced to five overs per side, the Nottingham-based side added another convincing seven-wicket victory over Surrey in the final, adding the knockout title to the Vitality T20 Blast they lifted last month.
Experienced Scotland all-rounder Kathryn Bryce set the foundation for victory with a standout bowling performance of four wickets for 18 runs, while her younger wicketkeeping sister Sarah contributed a crucial catch and a run-out as Surrey faltered for momentum after being put in to bat during their 13 overs.
Emma Jones provided an explosive start to The Blaze’s chase, smashing 22 runs from 14 balls. Although both she and Tammy Beaumont were dismissed by Alice Monaghan, Georgia Elwiss anchored a pivotal third-wicket partnership of 40 runs with Kathryn Bryce over four overs.
Kathryn Bryce, joined by her sister Sarah, comfortably secured the winning single with an over to spare, finishing on an unbeaten 38 off 30 balls and cementing her status as the undisputed player of the match.
Surrey had previously edged Somerset in a high-scoring five-over semi-final, but ultimately fell short in the championship match, mirroring their disappointment from the previous year when they missed out in the inaugural T20 County Cup final against Lancashire.
Kira Chathli top-scored for Surrey with 25 off 23 balls, but after being run out by a sharp piece of fielding from Sarah Bryce, the elder Bryce took command with her persistent inswing bowling, delivering remarkable figures of 4 for 8 until Alice Davidson-Richards accelerated the innings with 10 runs off the final three overs.
Finals Day initially threatened to be entirely washed out as persistent drizzle soaked the ground, with the indoor school at Emirates Old Trafford readied for bowl-outs—though under rules introduced in 2024, such tiebreakers were only permitted for the semi-finals.
However, the umpires and ground staff capitalized on the first break in the weather, agreeing to a 4:50 PM start. Both semi-finals were reduced to five overs per side to maximize available time for the final, which commenced at 7:45 PM.
Kathryn Bryce, whose side currently leads the Metro Bank One Day Cup standings, revealed that The Blaze are targeting the domestic treble.
“It’s fantastic to secure both T20 trophies, and it puts us in a strong position to chase the Metro Bank title,” Bryce stated. “It was a brilliant final for us; our bowling and fielding restricted them effectively. We know Surrey are highly aggressive in any format, so having clear plans and taking wickets is always crucial.”
“The way Jonesy (Emma Jones) performed across both matches was outstanding—she kept us ahead of the required run rate and eased the pressure for the rest of the batting lineup.”