167 runs from Blaze’s brace of Bryces (try saying that quickly after a couple a couple of pints down Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem!) saw the Notts-based side finally win a regional trophy at the third time of asking, after having lost both of last year’s finals to Southern Vipers following their regeneration from Loughborough Lightning in 2023.

Earlier in the day – the first (and I guess, last) in the brief history of the tournament to feature two semi-finals – Vipers were sent home by Stars; whilst Blaze had progressed at the expense of Sparks.

Having thrashed Stars by a country mile just 3 days ago at Hove, Vipers fell just 6 runs short chasing 163 for victory. Some poor bowling at the death, with Lauren Bell’s 16th and Georgia Adams’ 17th overs conceding 13 and 11 runs respectively, allowed Stars to post a total that was perhaps 10-15 runs over par. Having let Stars get away towards the end, Vipers really needed one of their top order to take advantage of what was a decent pitch and post a really big score, but whilst Danni Wyatt and Charli Knott both got starts, neither could go on, and it was left to Charlie Dean to try to clean up behind them. Dean is a useful late middle-order bat, and may one day be more than that, but for now expecting her to get the job done by herself when the top order has failed is a big ask. She’s done it once this season, against Diamonds, but she couldn’t quite repeat that today, and Vipers fell by the wayside, missing their first final since the late 17th century.

Blaze in contrast kept better control of the ball in their semi-final against Sparks, leaving them requiring a somewhat more manageable 141. A partnership of 58 between Tammy Beaumont and Kathryn Bryce gave them a solid platform, before 19-year-old Josie Groves came in at the end to smash 14 off 4 balls at a Strike Rate of (fires up Excel…) 350 (gosh!) and get the Blaze over the line.

Having been pushed to the wire in their semi-final, Stars had to come right back out again for the final, with barely time to change into clean socks. We’d debated before the game whether the advantage was to play the first semi-final and have some time to rest-up, or play the second semi and carry your momentum through to the final. The physical advantage of the former, or the psychological advantage of the latter?

It subsequently became clear that today at least, the psychological advantage was outweighed by the lack of time to rest and recuperate. Batting first, the Stars looked slightly off the pace second time around, and fell away significantly at the end of their innings, compared to their dig earlier in the day.

If it hadn’t been for the first over of the final going for 18, Stars would have been well, well short. Blaze bowled well overall, but the stars were Heather Graham, who was clinically efficient taking 3-16; and Josie Groves, who polished-up her earlier heroics by taking 3-33, adding two more stumpings to the one she’d grabbed earlier. (Remarkably, she had never taken a stumping in regional cricket prior to today.)

Stars found the going harder and harder, falling off significantly at the end of their innings, scoring just 16 runs in the death phase, compared to the 38 they’d struck against Vipers.

Blaze’s reply got off to a luckless start with Tammy Beaumont run out at the non-striker’s end when a Marie Kelly drive was deflected onto the stumps by Tash Farrant. But… was it unlucky? Watching the replay, it looks pretty clear that Farrant did it deliberately. I’d heard rumours that some players had been practising turning what was once a rare, random mode of dismissal into a calculated play; and if players like Farrant can start doing this consistently, it adds a fascinating new dimension to the game, with batters having to be more careful than ever about backing-up.

Kelly also went early, but that brought the Bryce sisters together and once they got going, Blaze never looked like losing. The Bryce’s partnership to dismantle Sunrisers at Lords a couple of weeks ago was one of the most dominant batting displays I’ve seen in regional cricket, and they repeated the trick today, with Kathryn the first to pass 50, followed by Sarah as the Blaze engaged cruise-control and sauntered to victory.

The Stars were again suffering for playing their matches back-to-back, visibly tiring in the field. (The one player who kept going was Sophia Dunkley, exposing the gulf in fitness that remains between the England players and their regional counterparts, despite several years now of domestic professionalism.)

The margin of victory, with “just” 8 balls to spare, might look slim on the scorecard, but for Blaze it was never in doubt – a fully deserved title, having topped the league by a clear game with just one defeat in the T20 season. For the Bryces it represented a second triumph, after having taken Scotland to T20 World Cup qualification earlier in the summer. Both achievements will I’m sure have been equally sweet.

This week:

• Dani Hazell to coach Durham – what a coup!
• Should counties retain regional names?
• What will Tier 2 look like?
• A very dull England squad announcement
• Kirstie Gordon’s England v Scotland dilemma

Kirstie Gordon says that the first ever professional Nottinghamshire Women’s side will be known as the Nottinghamshire Blaze, after she was announced as the county’s first signing on Wednesday.

Gordon was speaking after The Blaze comprehensively beat Sunrisers at Lord’s on Thursday, continuing their unbeaten run in the Charlotte Edwards Cup with an eighth successive win.

It makes Notts the first county to confirm that a regional brand-name will carry over into the new era. By contrast, Surrey have already ruled out continuing to use the Stars name, preferring the women to simply be known as Surrey.

The Blaze brand is only two years old – the team moved over to Trent Bridge from Loughborough last year – but they have enjoyed enormous success under Gordon’s captaincy, reaching the 2023 Lottie Cup Final, and having already guaranteed themselves a spot at this year’s Finals Day on Saturday 22 June.

“We feel like we’ve created a bit of an identity with the Blaze,” Gordon told CRICKETher. “For now, we want to stay as the Blaze.”

Gordon also confirmed that coach Chris Guest, Director of Cricket James Cutt and the rest of the Blaze staff would be transitioning over to Nottinghamshire at the end of the season.

“For us it’s been a very easy transition,” she said. “We’re based at Trent Bridge already, our staff are staying the same. For me it was almost like renewing a contract again. It’s all been very seamless.”

Gordon, who was appointed Blaze captain at the start of the 2023 season, said that it had not yet been 100% confirmed whether she would be leading Nottinghamshire next year, but that she hoped to continue in the role: “I really enjoy it and I feel like I’m growing into it.”

The left-arm spinner is currently top of the Lottie Cup wicket-taking charts with 17 scalps in 8 matches, and said that she was pleased with her form going into Finals Day next weekend.

“I’ve bowled more overs in the powerplay this year than I have before,” she said. “I want to keep challenging myself to be better, and bowl in the tough phases of the game.”

Intriguingly, she appeared to rule out a personal return for Scotland, after her old team finished as runners-up in the Qualifying Tournament last month to set up a maiden appearance at the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in October.

“I was very pleased for Scotland, having been there in so many World Cup Qualifiers before and had those really difficult times,” she said. “I’d never write anything off, but I feel at the minute like I’m pretty comfortable where I am in my career.”

Gordon was part of both the main England squad and the England A side over the winter, so this suggests that the intriguing prospect of the proud Scot appearing for England AGAINST Scotland in their World Cup group-stage clash – scheduled for 14 October – is still very much on the cards.

Given her recent form with the ball, CRICKETher certainly wouldn’t rule it out!

In a match that existed in a strange No Man’s Land between the professional and amateur eras, Surrey beat Middlesex by 6 wickets at The Oval to retain the London Cup.

It was a day high-profile enough for there to be a multi-camera live-stream, and for us to be told off for briefly walking on (the very edge of) the outfield on our way over to the press box; but low-profile enough that said press box was not actually open!

On the field there was just one full time professional on show for Surrey – Southern Vipers keeper Rhianna Southby – and unless Southby moves to Surrey next season, it is likely that none of today’s Surrey side will feature for the county next season as pros in Tier 1. (Ironically, the most probable destination for any of them wishing to continue to play cricket next season in Tier 2 will be Middlesex.) Meanwhile, the most senior player of the field for Middlesex was Sunriser Kate Coppack.

After a disastrous start which saw them lose a wicket in each of the first 3 overs of the powerplay, Middlesex stuttered to 28-6 in the 9th over, before a 58 run partnership between Artemis Downer (35*) and Sonali Patel (26) gave the visitor’s innings some credibility – more so, at least, than their professional male counterparts who were in the process of being dismantled for 78 in their T20 Blast match against Somerset on the north side of the river! Middlesex finished on 96-8 – Downer and Patel the only batters to make double-figures.

Rhianna Southby – a decent tail-ender in regionals, who hit 25* here, coming in at 8 for Vipers a couple of weeks ago – opened the batting for Surrey. She played the shot of the day – cracking a full toss off Gaia Gole through mid on for 4 in the opening over – but was cleaned-up by Kate Coppack off the first ball of the second over to end her involvement in proceedings. Coppack then added the scalp of Surrey veteran Kirstie White three balls later – well caught behind the stumps by Georgia Irving.

Surrey’s rebuild, led by Amy Gordon (25) was steady rather than spectacular, taking Surrey to 46-3 at the half-way mark, putting them slightly behind on WinHer, which to be fair is based on professional cricket, but is still a reasonable indicator that they weren’t exactly in a commanding position at that stage.

All it was going to take though was two-or-three big overs, and Surrey found them with Thea Brookes leading the charge, taking 11, 7 and 10 off the 11th, 12th and 13th overs. Thereafter was pretty plain-sailing for Surrey, with Brookes finishing 26*, as Charlotte Stubbs hit the winning run in the 18th over.

The game has travelled a long way since the first London Cup won by Middlesex at this ground in 2015. The Kia Super League has come and gone, and by the end of this season regionals will have followed it to the great trophy cabinet in the sky. Whether we’ll see this fixture played again is an open question, with Surrey not expected to field an amateur team next year, whilst their professional side will be in Tier 1. With Middlesex competing as amateurs in Tier 2, any future games would likely be embarrassing mismatches. But while it lasted, it was fun; and if it doesn’t continue, we can only say: So long, London; it was indeed a good run.

In the 13th over of the Storm innings at Bristol on Sunday, Niamh Holland tried to play a sweep shot to a dreadful full-toss off Georgia Adams. The ball ballooned up into the air and 3 Vipers fielders descended upon it, only for it to equilaterally triangulate them perfectly and land safely on the grass between them. It was a moment that summed up a day when things didn’t quite click for Vipers.

And yet… they came away with the win nonetheless, thanks to an electrifying sprinting catch on the boundary by Alice Monaghan to dismiss Heather Knight, who was looking on course to notch up a One Woman Win for the Storm on their final visit to Bristol before they morph into Somerset at the turn of the season.

Had that catch evaded Monaghan’s outstretched grasp – as it had every right to do – it would have gone for 6, leaving Knight needing 18 off 11 balls – an ask which felt well within her, given the way she was dominating proceedings. Say what you like about the England captain (really… I have!) but she was a different class out there today, scoring 64% of Storm’s runs off the bat at a strike rate of 123. No one else was close – not for Storm (their next highest scorer was Sophie Luff who made 12 off 19 balls) nor Vipers.

The 137-9 that Viper had posted, having been put in to bat after Storm won the toss, didn’t feel par, even if it mathematically was – a typical first innings score in the Lottie Cup is 138. Oddly it was not top-scorer Georgia Adams who looked the most convincing of the Vipers batters, but Aussie overseas Charli Knott, who made 37 before having what might politely be termed a “senior moment” – dancing down the pitch to Amanda-Jade Wellington, and getting stumped as a consequence.

Wello is the Stump Queen – she has taken aroundabout 130 wickets in WBBL, with fully a quarter of them stumped. No one else comes close to that number – Alana King is closest, with 15% of 100-odd wickets stumped – so Knott needs to learn a lesson there, and… well… as Taylor Swift once so nearly said: Can you just Knott!

Vipers were kept at bay with the bat partly by a really positive performance from Lauren Filer, who took 3-8 from her 4 overs, with just the one wide in extras. They were good wickets too. She induced a poor shot from Maia Bouchier in her first over; forced Freya Kemp so far back into her crease that she trod on her own stumps; and finally did Nancy Harman for sheer pace. Filer outbowled her key rival for a slot in England’s T20 XI – Lauren Bell – with Jon Lewis there to see it too.

Both Filer and Knight deserved to be on the winning side, but with Dani Gibson still out injured, Storm just didn’t have the batting to finish the job, when all it would have taken was someone staying with Knight that little bit longer.

As for Vipers, how many times have we said about them that the key to success is winning when you aren’t at your best? Here at Bristol, we find ourselves saying it again.

This week on the CRICKETher Weekly:

• State of play in the #CECup
• What should double headers look like next year?
• Surrey announce their first 4 contracts – but where will England players end up?
• Why the USA should have hosted a women’s World Cup (not a men’s one)

Paige Scholfield says that she is so happy at the Stars that she “didn’t even bother looking” elsewhere, after Surrey announced her as one of their second group of signings for the 2025 season.

Scholfield, who moved to South East Stars from the Southern Vipers two years ago, was likely to be in high demand among the counties – especially after scoring three half-centuries in the first five rounds of the Charlotte Edwards Cup.

But in an exclusive interview with CRICKETher in the wake of Stars’ 6-wicket win against Sunrisers at Lord’s, she said that she had refused to even countenance a move elsewhere.

“I’ve found my home,” she said. “I’ve really enjoyed the environment – Mybs [Coach Johann Myburgh], Stevo [Assistant Coach Darren Stevens], the whole lot.”

“I’ve had such a great time here with the Stars and I want to stay a part of that. I couldn’t be prouder to call Surrey my home.”

Scholfield declined to confirm the exact terms of her deal, but CRICKETher understands that Surrey have offered multi-year contracts to a number of Stars players, including captain Bryony Smith, who was unveiled at the weekend as the county’s first signing.

Scholfield added: “This is my family now and I’ll be staying here for a long time.”

On Thursday at Lord’s, Scholfield fully justified the faith of the powers-that-be at Surrey, striking a 35-ball half-century as Stars beat Sunrisers to go top of the table in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.

Scholfield personally sealed the deal by smashing back-to-back boundaries down the ground off the final two balls of the run-chase, to ensure she simultaneously reached her personal milestone and secured the win.

In another coup for Surrey, Alexa Stonehouse – who had also been announced as a Surrey signing on the morning of the match – took two wickets in her opening three overs, including the huge scalp of Grace Scrivens, as Sunrisers were reduced to 27 for four by the end of the powerplay and never quite recovered.

As Stars slowly but steadily morph seamlessly into Surrey – with more signings from the current squad expected to be announced over the coming days – the county will be well-pleased with their day’s work.

Bryony Smith has described her decision to sign as Surrey’s first ever women’s professional as a “no-brainer”, after she was announced on Sunday as the first player to sign a contract for any of the eight new Tier One teams.

Smith will become Surrey’s first ever female professional and will also captain the Surrey Women’s side, continuing in the role which she has performed for the Stars since 2021.

The news was announced by Surrey ahead of the Stars-Surrey double-header at The Oval, which saw Stars storm to a six-wicket win against reigning champions Southern Vipers in the first leg.

“I always knew I was going to stay, unless something miraculous happened,” Smith said, speaking exclusively to CRICKETher after the match.

“I’ve been here since I was 9, and I can’t see myself playing for any other club.”

Smith refused to confirm whether any of the other Tier One sides had approached her, but CRICKETher understands that at least one other team had expressed interest in signing the 26-year-old.

She described her conversations with Surrey as “very casual”, involving a chat over coffee with Surrey Director of Women’s Cricket Emma Calvert.

“She said: ‘we want you here, and we want you to lead this team – here’s the offer!’,” Smith told CRICKETher. “I went away and thought about it, but it was a no-brainer.”

Calvert labelled Smith “one of the outstanding leaders on the domestic circuit and a fantastic leader”.

Surrey will now look to assemble the remainder of their 2025 squad. Smith said she would not be involved in selection decisions, but hoped that the Surrey team would look similar to the one she currently leads in regionals.

“I’ve got nothing to do with contracts, which I think is the right way to do it,” she said. “We’re a super-tight group here, and hopefully we keep a pretty similar group [next year].”