Emma Jones Seals Dramatic One-Day Cup Win to Complete Blaze Treble

Emma Jones hit a dramatic last-ball boundary to secure a One-Day Cup final victory for The Blaze over Hampshire, capping a domestic treble for the champions. Playing at the Utilita Bowl, Jones held her nerve under intense pressure to pull Daisy Gibb’s final delivery for four, sealing an unbeaten 34 from 25 balls and shattering Hampshire’s hopes of silverware.

The dramatic conclusion completed a dominant domestic campaign for The Blaze, who had already captured trophies in the T20 Blast and County Cup earlier in the season. Facing a target of 252, The Blaze appeared to be cruising toward victory following a substantial 50-plus partnership between Tammy Beaumont, who top-scored with 74, and Georgia Elwiss, who contributed 64.

Spinners Spark Late Collapse Before Jones Secures Victory

Hampshire mounted a fierce fightback through their bowling attack as the match reached its closing stages. Spinners Amanda-Jade Wellington claimed 3-36 and Bex Tyson finished with 2-46, triggering a collapse where four Blaze wickets fell for just 29 runs. That sudden shift left the batting side needing 30 runs from the final three overs to clinch the trophy.

Wellington made key breakthroughs by removing both Bryce sisters in the same over and later trapping Beaumont lbw. Elwiss attempted to steady the innings with a patient knock past fifty, but Tyson’s dismissal of Elwiss left the outcome hanging in the balance until Jones engineered the final-over heroics.

Hampshire Innings and Early Momentum

Invited to bat first after Blaze captain Kirstie Gordon won the toss, Hampshire started cautiously before Ella McCaughan and Maia Bouchier built an opening partnership worth 84 runs from 106 deliveries. Bouchier contributed before picking out the long-on fielder off Lucy Higham’s bowling.

McCaughan pushed past her half-century to record 78 before being trapped lbw by Grace Ballinger. Freya Kemp added 52 from 46 balls, striking spinners cleanly over the top, before being stumped off Higham, who finished with figures of 4-49. Late contributions from Gibb and Poppy Tulloch pushed Hampshire to a competitive total of 251-9 in their 50 overs, though it ultimately proved insufficient to stop The Blaze’s late charge.

The defeat marks consecutive years of title heartbreak for Hampshire on home soil, following their loss in the 2025 final to Lancashire. Meanwhile, the victory cements a treble for The Blaze across England’s domestic women’s cricket structure, capping a season that also included triumphs in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and Kia Super League.