Kathryn Bryce powers The Blaze to T20 Women's County Cup title

The Blaze won the T20 Women's County Cup after Kathryn Bryce delivered an all-round performance in a seven-wicket victory over Surrey at Old Trafford. BBC Sport reported that Bryce took 4-18 before making an unbeaten 38 as her side completed a target of 92 with six balls remaining in the rain-shortened final.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUIy_ggppfM

Persistent rain delayed the start of Finals Day until shortly before 5 p.m. BST and reduced both semi-finals to five overs per side. The final was then staged over 13 overs each, giving the four teams a route to settle the competition on the field despite a wait of roughly six hours.

Surrey reached 91-8 from their 13 overs after being sent into the final against The Blaze. Kira Chathli led their scoring with 25 from 23 balls, while Alice Monaghan added 18 from 16. Bryce was the decisive bowler with four wickets for 18 runs, and wicketkeeper Sarah Bryce contributed a catch and a run-out.

The chase lost Tammy Beaumont and Emma Jones to Monaghan, but Jones had supplied momentum with 22. Kathryn Bryce and Georgia Elwiss then put together a third-wicket partnership of 40 in four overs. Elwiss made 17, while Bryce's unbeaten 38 from 30 balls carried The Blaze to 92-3 after 12 overs.

The finalists had both advanced through drastically shortened semi-finals earlier in the day. The Blaze held Essex to 44-3 and replied with 46-1 in 3.3 overs, with Jones making an unbeaten 26 from 14 deliveries. Surrey scored 62-2 against Somerset, led by Bryony Smith's 25 from seven balls, then held on as Somerset finished 60-6 and lost by two runs.

The result made The Blaze the competition's second champions, following Lancashire's victory in the inaugural 2025 edition, and left Surrey as runners-up for a second successive year. It also continued a productive season for The Blaze, who had won the Women's T20 Blast in July and entered Finals Day leading their group in the One-Day Cup, according to the BBC report.