A commanding seven-wicket win over Yorkshire in the final saw The Blaze win a second successive Abu Dhabi Women’s T20 title over the weekend.
Sarah Bryce’s sensational century in game two saw her finish atop the team’s run-scoring charts ahead of Tammy Beaumont, while Grace Ballinger’s six wickets at an average of just 9.67 marked her out as the best bowler.
Back-to-back wins against Surrey and Tasmanian Tigers - by 60 runs on Friday and by 13 runs on Saturday, respectively, delivered Craig Cumming’s side to the showpiece against Yorkshire.
The dominance with which The Blaze cantered to a second successive title had been evident in those first two games over the weekend.
Surrey were seen off comfortably in the opener on Friday evening, as Marie Kelly top-scored with 37 to add to 33 apiece from Beaumont and Kathryn Bryce in a total of 155-5.
Baker then returned a haul of 3/15, including Surrey captain Phoebe Franklin, to ensure that the Brown Caps were never in contention, bowled out in 16.2 overs for just 95.
Bolstered by that performance, the 2024 Charlotte Edwards Cup champions moved on to showcase just what they are truly capable of against Tasmania.
Opener Sarah Bryce marmalised the Australian side’s attack with an unbeaten 100 off just 57 balls, helping The Blaze cruise to an enormous 185-6 as her sister Kathryn added 31.
With such a weight of runs to work with, seven bowlers were able to be rotated through the chase, with Ballinger and Kathryn Bryce leading the way by taking two wickets apiece.
In the final, a stifling bowling performance, led by Kathryn Bryce’s 3/8 and backed up by 2/21 for Grace Ballinger and Olivia Baker’s 2/31, restricted the White Rose to 142-7.
It was a target that was easily reached, as stand-in captain Beaumont struck 65 from 53 balls, with Ella Claridge and Kathryn Bryce adding another 28 each, to see The Blaze over the finish line with a full over to spare.