TEAM NEWS
The Blaze: Tammy Beaumont, Emma Jones, Kathryn Bryce, Sarah Bryce (WK), Georgia Elwiss, Ella Claridge, Michaela Kirk, Kirstie Gordon (C), Lucy Higham, Grace Ballinger, Charley Phillips.
Essex Women: Grace Scrivens (C), Lissy Macleod, Jodi Grewcock, Sophia Smale, Liberty Heap, Jo Gardner, Sophie Munro, Eva Gray, Kate Coppack, Mollie Adams (WK), Esmae MacGregor.
MATCH DETAILS
Umpires: S Redfern & R Dovey
Scorers: SJ Stringfellow & HM Hyde
Match Referee: H Pack
Toss: The Blaze won the toss and elected to bowl
Result: The Blaze win by 9 wickets
MATCH REACTION: STEPHEN PARRY
Emma Jones fired The Blaze to a comfortable victory in the first semi final of Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup Finals Day, which was reduced to five overs per side on a wet day in Manchester.
Jones, a 24-year-old from Hertfordshire, plundered an unbeaten 26 from 14 balls as The Blaze cruised past Essex’s total of 44 for three with nine balls to spare.
Tammy Beaumont had given them a flying start with a superb six off the second ball she faced, and although the England star was brilliantly run out by Esmae MacGregor, Jones completed the victory with three consecutive boundaries – meaning The Blaze avoided a repeat of their defeat in the semi-finals when this competition was first played last year, and could wait to see whether they would face Surrey or Somerset in the final.
Finals Day seemed to be heading for a complete washout as heavy drizzle fell constantly, with the indoor school at Emirates Old Trafford prepared for bowl-outs – although under regulations introduced in 2024, they would only be permitted for semi-finals and not the final.
But the umpires and groundstaff pounced at the first sight of a break in the rain, and agreed on a 450pm start – with each of the semifinals reduced to five overs per side to leave as much time as possible for the final.
Kirstie Gordon won the toss for The Blaze and inserted Essex, whose captain Grace Scrivens did her best to provide the necessary flying start by scoring 15 of the 18 they compiled from the first two overs.
But Scrivens fell to an unusual caught and bowled in the third over, getting under a high full toss for Grace Ballinger to take a good diving catch.
Ballinger conceded only 16 from her two overs and Gordon was even more economical, earning one for six from her single over which included the key wicket of Jodi Grewcock bowled behind her legs.
Beaumont then showed her class with a superb catch at deep mid-wicket to dismiss Liberty Heap off Charley Phillips, and despite an unbeaten 18 from Lissy Macleod, Essex’s total of 44 for three felt a little short.
