There was a certain irony in the result of Saturday’s One-Day Cup final. After beating Hampshire by 3 wickets, The Blaze now have their name carved on all three of the English domestic trophies – the Blast, the County Cup and the One-Day Cup. And yet, very shortly, The Blaze will no longer exist.
Two and a half years ago, after The Blaze won the final Charlotte Edwards Cup, I wrote in The Guardian:
The women’s domestic teams will morph from regions into counties at the end of this season, but Gordon has nonetheless confirmed that The Blaze (who are “becoming” Nottinghamshire) will retain their team moniker. Some have questioned that decision – wasn’t the whole point of the restructure supposed to be alignment with the men’s team? – but the evidence of Saturday suggests that it is, undoubtedly, the right call. Who wants to change a winning brand?
I could have written the exact same thing yesterday. Which sports organisation would want to erase a team who have just swept the board in terms of trophies?
And yet this, it seems, is the world we currently live in.
Exhibit A: when I turned up to the Utilita Bowl on Saturday, I discovered that the Southern Vipers mural has been replaced by a Hundred mural.
Southern Vipers are one of the most successful teams in the history of cricket, if you take the ratio of trophies won to years in existence. It’s baffling to me that you would want to wipe them out of the tangible heritage of your club – but this appears to be what has happened.
Two years on from the “official” end of the regional era, it feels like that era has now finally concluded. Was it the right thing to do? Probably. But let’s not forget about those nine years of regional cricket. They happened. They mattered.
The Blaze Is Dead. Long Live The Blaze.
CRICKETher 