The Blaze ended Hampshire’s unbeaten season on a chilly day in Nottingham, thanks to a century from stand-in captain Tammy Beaumont.

Invited to bowl after Hampshire won the toss, The Blaze opened with two maidens, bowled by Charley Phillips and Grace Ballinger – Ella McCaughan playing and missing several times in the first over, as Phillips ploughed a furrow outside off stump; whist Maia Bouchier was kept pinned-back in her crease by Ballinger bowling wicket-to-wicket.

But McCaughan, having started the day 133 not out following her midweek century against Lancashire, was soon piercing the ring with pinpoint accuracy to find runs on a spacious outfield at Trent Bridge.

Ballinger in particular bowled well, but a rare loose delivery brought the first wicket in the 10th over – Bouchier latching on to an inviting half-tracker well outside off and inside-edging it onto her stumps, as Hampshire finished the powerplay at 41-1.

McCaughan was dropped at cover on 31 off Sarah Glenn, but Glenn did pick up Charli Knott shortly after – bowled trying to cut the England leg-spinner off the back foot – a dismissal which suggested the Australian had not done her homework on Glenn. Glenn then added the wicket of Georgia Adams – the veteran Hampshire captain pinned plumb in front LBW for 13.

The drop aside McCaughan looked largely untroubled, passing 50 for the third consecutive outing in the 25th over. The same cannot be said of Rhianna Southby however – bowled by Sarah Glenn in a copycat of Knott’s dismissal, trying to cut Glenn off the back foot on the stroke of drinks, leaving the visitors 91-4 and looking wobbly.

A lapse in concentration from McCaughan saw her steer a catch to backward point off Josie Groves with 57 to her name, as Blaze continued to press with spin from both ends, Glenn finishing a spell of 10 straight overs with 3-36.

Short on runs, Hampshire could ill-afford to mark time, but that is nonetheless what they found themselves doing. Abi Norgrove and Nancy Harman dug in for a few overs, but Norgrove was caught in the deep by Kathryn Bryce for 17 whilst Harman was LBW to Phillips for 19.

Freya Davies was given a let off by Sarah Bryce, who could only get her glove-tips to a flying edge behind the stumps, on her way to an unbeaten 23 as she and Poppy Tulloch (18) dragged Hampshire to 189-7 at the turn.

With Blaze’s top 6 boasting just the 744 caps between them, Hampshire’s only option was to go on the attack in search of early wickets, posting slips to both opening bowlers. Amy Jones gave a half-chance early-doors to Davies off her own bowling, but it was struck so hard that Davies was not only unable to hold on, but had to leave the field temporarily for medical attention. Unfortunately for Jones however, Davies returned in time to bowl her next over – the England keeper slicing a catch to Lauren Bell at mid off for the opening wicket.

Bell meanwhile was making the batters look uncomfortable, but with no reward until the 10th over, when Kathryn Bryce chased a short, wide delivery she should probably have left alone and was caught by Norgrove at point. At the end of the powerplay, Blaze were 31-2. It wasn’t the 3 wickets in the powerplay they probably needed, but the third wicket wasn’t far behind – Bell striking again as Sarah Bryce spooned some catching practice to Poppy Tulloch, running around the umpire to take the catch at backward at square.

A period of quiet accumulation followed, with Georgia Elwiss playing much the same role for the Blaze that she did so often for Vipers – nudging and nurdling her contribution to a 50 partnership with Tammy Beaumont. Boundaries were hard to come by, but Beaumont brought up her 50 by absolutely hammering a pull through midwicket for 4, and followed it up with another 4 behind of square to put Blaze well in control at drinks on 106-3.

The 50 partnership between Elwiss and Beaumont turned into 100 off 115 balls, with the two old-timers continuing to play low-risk cricket – Elwiss also passing 50 as the finish line drew into view with the asking rate now under 3-an-over.

A century for Tammy Beaumont remained mathematically possible but looked unlikely until she suddenly exploded with a flurry of boundaries, including a six down the ground off Freya Davies, celebrating her hundred off just 110 balls and finishing on 112 off 113 balls as the Blaze won with a country mile to spare.