Blaze win One-Day Cup in last-ball thriller

Emma Jones sealed The Blaze's treble success with a dramatic last-ball boundary to win a thrilling One-Day Cup final and shatter Hampshire's hopes of silverware.

The Blaze, who had already won the T20 Blast and County Cup trophies this season, seemed to be coasting towards their target of 252 after half-centuries from Tammy Beaumont (74) and Georgia Elwiss (64) at the Utilita Bowl.

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.

However, 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 treble for her side.

That meant heartbreak for Hampshire on home soil for a second successive year, having lost the 2025 final to Lancashire.

Asked to bat after Blaze captain Kirstie Gordon won the toss, Hampshire started slowly but Ella McCaughan and Maia Bouchier gradually eased into their rhythm to share an opening stand of 84 from 106.

Women's One-Day Cup final: Blaze seal dramatic win over Hampshire with final ball of match

Bouchier, who had hit hundreds in both of her past two innings, took a liking to the bowling of Lucy Higham, driving the off-spinner twice for leg-side boundaries – but then she tried to do it a third time and 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 over the top and smashing Higham for the first six of the innings.

However, having reached 166-2, Hampshire began to stutter as Grace Ballinger returned for a second spell to trap McCaughan lbw for 78 and Kemp (52 from 46) was lured down the track by Higham (4-49) and stumped.

Wickets continued to tumble as Charley Phillips (3-38) struck three times in rapid succession and Gordon, whose consistent 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 in the final over of the innings, but their hopes of capturing early wickets in the Blaze response proved forlorn.

Beaumont struck back-to-back fours off Dattani to raise the 50 partnership well before the end of the powerplay and Adams went for 13 in her second over as Sarah Bryce walloped her high over the long-on boundary.

It was Wellington who raised Hampshire spirits by dismissing both Bryce sisters in the same over, with Sarah sweeping to deep square leg before Kathryn was brilliantly taken by Adams at slip, leaping low to her left.