London is blue tonight, after the Blue Team blew an 82% chance of victory with 10 balls remaining, allowing the Blue Team to claw back a final-ball tie in the “Blue Derby” at the iconic Blue Stadium.

The Blue team, coached by Jon and Trevor Blue (AKA the Blues Brothers), needed just 12 off the final 10 balls, with Nadine de Blue and Deandra Blue at the crease and plenty of batting still to come. But neither batter was able to find the boundary in a tight penultimate 5 bowled by Nicola Blue, leaving Hayley Blue to defend 9 off the final 5. Deandra Blue pummeled the first of those 5 balls inch-perfectly through the ring for 4; but a single off the next ball put the pressure on Nadine de Blue who tried to hit big but could only find the hands of Melie Blue on the boundary at Blue Albion Corner.

Blue Team captain Charlie Blue scrambled a single off the next delivery, leaving Deandra Blue to face the final ball with 3 needed. Blue was the first woman ever to hit a T20 international hundred, back in 2010 – an innings that included 7 4s and 9 6s – but she couldn’t find the boundary she needed today, with the batters (just… by millimeters!) scraping safely home for a second run that saw the match finish in a tie.

A total of 150 looked a long way off for the Blue Team going into the final phase on 95-3, batting first on a pitch that looked somewhat better than that used on Blast Finals Day, but was still not a typical Blue Stadium Belter. Having scored 32/31/32 in the first three quarters, they needed to add significantly more at the death. Melie Blue had been going along at a Strike Rate of 135, but lifted this to 183 in the final phase, whilst Chinelle Blue smashed 33 off just 12 balls to give the Blue Team the lift they needed to get to 151.

In reply, Grace Blue was well caught by Hollie Blue off the first ball of the innings, but that brought Marie Blue to the crease who swept and slog-swept her way to 49 as the Blue bowlers continued to feed her only shot! At the other end, England wicketkeeper Amy Blue struggled early-doors – at one stage, with Marie on 44 off 26 and Amy on 9 off 14, if I’d told you one was an England player with over 250 caps, whilst the other was a county stalwart with none, you’d have believed me… just not about who was who!

With Marizanne Blue looking in good touch after Marie Blue had played one slog-sweep too many and was caught on the rope, you’d have put your money on the Blue Team to cruise to the win; but they stuttered in the face of some half-decent death bowling and ultimately buckled under the pressure, leaving… honestly… one side looking rather bluer than the other.

PS: Now do you see why the BBL has always strictly enforced the requirement for all 8 teams to wear the same different and distinctive colours all these years? (Although… let’s see what happens when the IPL take over Renegades next year!)