The Blaze Women edged past Warwickshire Women by 11 runs in an entertaining Women’s T20 Blast 2026 contest at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, with contributions coming throughout the batting order and some disciplined bowling at crucial moments. While the final margin was narrow, the match featured several key partnerships, individual batting performances, and impactful spells from bowlers on both sides that shaped the outcome.
After Warwickshire Women elected to field first, The Blaze Women made a positive start despite losing skipper Marie Kelly relatively early. Kelly looked in excellent touch, striking five boundaries in her brisk 29 off 22 balls. Alongside Tammy Beaumont, who contributed 10 from 10 deliveries, she helped establish a solid opening partnership of 52 runs. The breakthrough came when Mary Taylor dismissed Kelly at 52/1 in the fifth over, giving Warwickshire their first success.
The wickets then began to fall at regular intervals. Beaumont departed for 10 at 61/2, while Charli Knott added 11 from 11 balls before becoming the third wicket at 65/3. Georgia Elwiss was unable to build a substantial innings and fell for 8, leaving The Blaze Women at 74/4. When Ella Claridge managed only 4 runs and was dismissed at 78/5 in the 11th over, Warwickshire Women had firmly wrestled back momentum through disciplined bowling and fielding.
However, the match-changing phase came through Emma Jones and Lucy Higham. Jones played a counter-attacking innings of 32 from just 22 balls, finding the boundary five times and maintaining a strike rate above 145. Higham supported her well with 19 from 19 deliveries. The pair added a valuable 50-run partnership for the sixth wicket, taking the score from 78 to 128 and rebuilding the innings after the middle-order collapse.
Higham eventually departed at 128/6 in the 18th over, but the late acceleration continued. Grace Ballinger chipped in with an unbeaten 17 from 13 balls, while Prisha Thanawala remained not out on 5. Their unbroken eighth-wicket stand ensured The Blaze Women finished strongly on 151/7 from 20 overs, with 16 extras also boosting the total.
Warwickshire Women shared the bowling responsibilities effectively. Georgia Davis was the standout performer, claiming 3 wickets for 23 runs from her four overs and removing key middle-order batters. Mary Taylor picked up 2 wickets for 33 runs, including the important scalp of Kelly. Hannah Baker delivered an economical spell of 2/19 from four overs, while Amu Surenkumar and Charis Pavely kept things reasonably tight despite going wicketless and expensive respectively.
Chasing 152, Warwickshire Women began steadily through Meg Austin and Abigail Freeborn. The opening pair added 34 runs before Grace Ballinger removed Freeborn for 10. Georgia Redmayne then joined Austin and the duo stitched together a promising 55-run second-wicket partnership, taking the score to 89/2 and keeping the chase on track. Austin was the dominant force, producing a magnificent 74 from 51 balls, including seven fours and three sixes. Her aggressive strokeplay ensured Warwickshire remained in contention deep into the innings.
Redmayne contributed a useful 22 from 23 deliveries before departing at 89/2, while Charis Pavely added 15 from 14 balls. Austin continued to anchor the chase and shared a crucial 47-run partnership with Pavely, moving Warwickshire closer to the target. However, the turning point came when Austin was dismissed by Georgia Elwiss for a superb 74 at 136/4 in the 19th over. Her wicket significantly slowed the momentum at a critical stage.
Natasha Wraith managed only 5 before becoming the fifth wicket at 136, and despite Mary Taylor remaining unbeaten on 2 and Amu Surenkumar finishing not out on 2, Warwickshire Women closed on 140/5 from their 20 overs, falling 11 runs short. The Blaze Women bowlers shared the workload admirably. Grace Ballinger delivered an outstanding spell of 2/20 from four overs and provided the first breakthrough.
Charley Phillips also impressed with 2/23, removing key batters during the middle and death overs. Georgia Elwiss claimed the crucial wicket of Austin and finished with 1/30, while Charli Knott bowled her full allocation for 1/29. Maria Andrews and Lucy Higham chipped in with economical supporting spells, ensuring the required rate remained under pressure during the closing stages.
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