The highly anticipated Women's T20 Blast Finals Day is just around the corner, with The Blaze set to take on Surrey in the opening semi-final at The Oval on Friday. As a member of the team, I'm excited to see us compete alongside top-ranked Hampshire and Durham for the coveted trophy.
The summer of 2026 has been a rollercoaster ride for English cricket, with fans divided by mid-match international retirements, women's T20 World Cup and Test defeats, and a competitive white-ball series against India. However, domestic cricket has continued to thrive, and this weekend it takes centre stage with the finals of both the men's and women's T20 Blast competitions.
This is the second Women's T20 Blast Finals Day since the women's domestic game went fully professional, and two of last year's three qualifying teams, Surrey and The Blaze, will return to The Oval once again. The schedule mirrors that of the men's competition, with four teams vying for the trophy.
The Blaze had a successful group stage, winning eight games out of twelve, but we're chasing further success than just reaching Finals Day. We want to make amends after losing the semi-final in 2025 and push for silverware. The top-of-the-table team will play the fourth-placed team, and the second-placed team will face the third-placed team, which seems the most logical way to manage four teams.
Surrey will have a slight home advantage playing at their own ground, but it remains to be seen if England players will be available. Most England players did not feature in the group stages due to a busy international summer with a T20 World Cup and one-off Test match against India.