Ballinger closes the last window
Grace Ballinger’s control at the back end proved the difference as The Blaze W defended under pressure to beat Warwickshire W by 11 runs. With Meg Austin set and the asking rate manageable, the chase still felt alive deep into the innings, but three wickets in the final phase turned a steady pursuit into a scramble. Warwickshire finished 138/5, left needing a late surge that never arrived.
Powerplay burst, death-overs squeeze
The Blaze effectively won it with a split performance: a flying start and a disciplined finish. Their powerplay of 61/1 (10.2 an over) gave them a platform that survived a wobble later, even as Georgia Davis and Hannah Baker dragged the rate down through the middle. In reply, Warwickshire’s slower start — 37/1 in the powerplay — left them chasing the game’s tempo. They recovered superbly in the middle overs (81/1), but the death overs told: only 20/3, with boundaries drying up when they needed them most.
Austin shines, Davis nearly flips it
Austin was the standout batter, striking 72 from 51 at 141 and anchoring the key 54-run partnership with Redmayne that hauled Warwickshire back into contention. Davis was the game’s most incisive bowler, her 3/23 repeatedly halting The Blaze’s momentum, while Baker’s 2/19 tightened the squeeze. For The Blaze, Emma Jones’ 32 off 22 and Marie Kelly’s 29 off 22 ensured the powerplay advantage became a defendable total, before Ballinger’s 2/20 provided the closing punch.
Pre-match fog, in-game clarity
With little to separate the sides on paper beforehand, the match was decided by the clearest T20 pattern: front-load runs, then defend with options. The Blaze’s early intent meant they could absorb a mid-innings slide (64/4 in the middle overs) without falling below par. Warwickshire, by contrast, built a strong base but left too much for the last five, where wicket-loss and conservative scoring combined to inflate the required rate.
TBThe Blaze W
153/10
DUDurham W
156/3
WAWarwickshire W
158/8
TBThe Blaze W
159/6
LALancashire W
162/5
TBThe Blaze W
163/7
TBThe Blaze W
181/6
YOYorkshire W
179/5
TBThe Blaze W
143/10
WAWarwickshire W
163/8
HAHampshire W
137/4
TBThe Blaze W
164/5
ESEssex W
104/9
TBThe Blaze W
139/10
TBThe Blaze W
122/5
SUSurrey W
132/9
TBThe Blaze W
188/6
HAHampshire W
151/10
WAWarwickshire W
172/6
TBThe Blaze W
147/8
TB1WA2DUDurham W
140/5
WAWarwickshire W
113/10
WAWarwickshire W
158/8
TBThe Blaze W
159/6
WAWarwickshire W
166/9
SOSomerset W
167/3
ESEssex W
166/3
WAWarwickshire W
164/8
SUSurrey W
154/5
WAWarwickshire W
153/9
TBThe Blaze W
143/10
WAWarwickshire W
163/8
SUSurrey W
204/5
WAWarwickshire W
179/9
HAHampshire W
149/6
WAWarwickshire W
165/9
SOSomerset W
127/9
WAWarwickshire W
149/8
WAWarwickshire W
139/10
SUSurrey W
140/6
SUR-W
5
3-1
15
SOM-W
5
3-1
15
ESS-W
4
3-1
13
DUR-W
4
3-1
12
TB-W
4
3-1
12
HAM-W
4
1-1
8
LAN-W
4
1-3
5
YOR
4
0-4
0
WAR-W
4
0-4
0
SUR-W
5
3
1
—
+0.729
15
SOM-W
5
3
1
—
+0.221
15
ESS-W
4
3
1
—
+0.613
13
DUR-W
4
3
1
—
+0.558
12
TB-W
4
3
1
—
+0.101
12
HAM-W
4
1
1
—
-0.113
8
LAN-W
4
1
3
—
-0.060
5
YOR
4
0
4
—
-1.094
0
WAR-W
4
0
4
—
-1.265
0
SUR-WWWWDL
SOM-WDWWLW
ESS-WWLWW
DUR-WWLWW
TB-WWWWL
HAM-WDLWD
LAN-WLLWL
YORLLLL
WAR-WLLLL