Emma Jones hits last-ball boundary as The Blaze complete treble with One-Day Cup win over Hampshire
Emma Jones sealed The Blaze's treble success with a dramatic last-ball boundary to win a thrilling Women's Metro Bank One-Day Cup final and shatter Hampshire's hopes of silverware on home soil.
Chasing 252 at Trent Bridge, The Blaze, who had already won the T20 Blast and County Cup trophies this season, seemed to be coasting after half-centuries from Tammy Beaumont (74) and Georgia Elwiss (64). But Hampshire's spinners fought back, with Amanda-Jade Wellington taking 3-36 and Bex Tyson 2-46 as four wickets went down for 29 to leave The Blaze needing 30 from the final three overs.
Jones kept her cool with an unbeaten 34 from 25 balls and, with two still required from Daisy Gibb's final delivery, pulled it to the boundary to clinch a remarkable three-wicket victory for her side. That meant heartbreak for Hampshire for a second successive year, having lost the 2025 final to Lancashire.
Hampshire's stuttering innings
Asked to bat after Blaze captain Kirstie Gordon won the toss, Hampshire started slowly but Ella McCaughan and Maia Bouchier eased into their rhythm with an opening stand of 84 from 106. Bouchier, who had hit hundreds in both of her past two innings, took a liking to Lucy Higham's off-spin, driving twice for leg-side boundaries — but trying a third time picked out the long-on fielder.
Hampshire skipper Georgia Adams departed cheaply, smacking Higham's full toss to mid-off, but McCaughan eased past her half-century as Freya Kemp seized control, hitting the spinners cleanly and smashing Higham for the first six of the innings.
However, having reached 166-2, Hampshire stuttered as Grace Ballinger returned to trap McCaughan lbw for 78 and Kemp (52 from 46) was stumped off Higham, who finished with 4-49. Charley Phillips struck three times in rapid succession for 3-38, and Gordon — whose 10 overs cost just 39 — produced an outstanding one-handed catch at mid-on to remove Naomi Dattani. Gibb and Poppy Tulloch did just enough to haul Hampshire above the 250 mark, closing on 251-9.
Beaumont and Elwiss build, spinners fight back
Beaumont struck back-to-back fours off Dattani as the 50 partnership came well before the end of the powerplay, and Adams went for 13 in her second over as Sarah Bryce walloped her over long-on. Wellington then raised Hampshire's spirits by dismissing both Bryce sisters in the same over — Sarah sweeping to deep square leg and Kathryn brilliantly caught low to her left by Adams at slip.
Elwiss provided a calming influence, milking singles alongside the former England batter, who passed 50 from 75 balls while riding her luck — dropped by Kemp at deep midwicket and missed by Rhianna Southby's stumping off Tyson. Beaumont's fortune ran out when Wellington pinned her lbw.
Elwiss brought up her 50 with successive fours off Wellington, but The Blaze still needed 51 when she fell to Tyson, whose 2-46 stifled the batters as boundaries dried up. Hampshire looked favourites — until Jones took two fours off Dattani's penultimate over and, despite the run-out of Higham with three needed, her composure guided The Blaze home.