So to the final round of the One Day Cup league fixtures with two matters to be decided.
The first is who will finish top and go straight through to the final, and the second is who will finish third and make the semi-final (I refuse to call it the Eliminator) on Wednesday.
The Blaze settled the first issue on Friday (not sure why they were allowed to play their final game before all the others?) with a demolition of lowly Essex. The Blaze finish top and Essex finish bottom. The game reflected their standings in the table.
As for third place that was a straight shootout between Surrey and Somerset at The Oval. Surrey took Sophia Dunkley and Ryanna MacDonald-Gay back into the fold. Somerset continued their fight without the assistance of Charlie Dean, Dani Gibson or Heather Knight. It was a cracking game with Somerset setting Surrey an imposing 296 to win thanks to centuries from captain Sophie Luff and Niamh Holland. Surrey were always up with the run rate, but managed to keep losing wickets just when they looked to have the game won. In the end a couple of leg byes in the last over saw them limp home nine down. They will play Hampshire on Wednesday.
Elsewhere Yorkshire contrived to get bowled out for far fewer than they needed, which allowed Lancashire bragging rights for another year; and Warwickshire scored 224 more runs then they did on Wednesday, but still lost to Durham.
Surrey v Somerset
Somerset 295/7 lost to Surrey 296/9 by 1 wicket
A fitting "quarter-final" played out on the billiard table that is The Oval - great if you are a batter, not so much fun if you are a bowler. Invited to bat Somerset looked to be wasting the facilities until the Duracell bunny that is Sophie Luff (103) and her solar-powered protégé Niamh Holland (130*) got together. They were still there 196 runs later and had taken Somerset to 241. Luff succumbed to battery fatigue having made her century, but Holland went on past her own hundred and took Somerset to 295/7. It was a challenging total, but it could have been 30 or so more.
All of Surrey's top seven got into double figures and at 141/3 at the halfway point in their reply they looked comfortable, but two wickets in an over from the open-chested inswing of Alex Griffiths got Somerset back in the game. But then Kira Chatli (51) and Phoebe Franklin (46) added 95 for the sixth wicket to swing the pendulum the Londoners way and take Surrey within 60 runs of victory. But two more wickets in an over, this time from Chloe Skelton, edged the game back to Somerset and when Franklin perished at 257/8 Somerset supporters were googling trains to Southampton on Wednesday. But numbers 9 and 10, Kalea Moore (23) and Kate Coppack (16*) looked to be calmly steering Surrey to victory, until Moore pulled up with a hamstring issue with just 7 more needed for victory off 8 balls. After much delay Franklin reappeared to act as her runner. But in fact all she did was walk back off with the limping Moore who was lbw the very next ball. The last pair were at the crease.
A misfield at mid-off gave them 4 of the 6 they needed to win and two chaotic leg byes later Surrey were through by the skin of their teeth.
The Blaze v Essex
Essex 159 ao lost to The Blaze 162/1 by 9 wickets
Had it not been for a rear-guard 70 from Grace Scrivens Essex would have been bowled out for under 100. One can't help feeling that Scrivens is a modern-day Captain Mainwaring endeavouring to fight a war with a battalion of enthusiastic but inept individuals.
As it was Essex managed to put 159 on the board, which The Blaze made very short work of knocking off - just 115 balls was all it took. Sarah Bryce (70) and sister Kathryn (67) ensured Essex were back in Corporal Jones' van and heading south by early afternoon.
Yorkshire v Lancashire
Yorkshire 210 ao lost to Lancashire 211/3 by 7 wickets
Yorkshire threw away another promising batting position - 179/4 with 14 overs to come and heading to 270 plus - as they lost 6 wickets for 31 runs to post just 210. It is a sadly familiar tale for the Northerners. Only Lauren Winfield-Hill (90) offered much resistance to the Lancashire bowling attack.
Lancashire's response was unspectacular, but then it did not need to be. They took 41 overs to get over the line, but only lost three wickets en route. Eve Jones helped herself to another 77 runs to end up second on the Most Runs list (679), pipping Hollie Armitage and Maia Bouchier, who both also scored over 600. As for who came top.................
Durham v Warwickshire
Warwickshire 279/8 lost to Durham 280/6
..............it was.................. Katie George, who hit another 101* runs to take her to 698 for the season, and Warwickshire to 279/8. She seems to have thrived having taken over the captain's armband and it is difficult to see them taking it from her next season. Nat Wraith (48) and Charis Paveley (46) added some good support.
But Durham skipper Hollie Armitage (107) matched her Warwickshire counterpart with her own century and, with good middle-order support from Villiers, Thompson and Bess Heath (63), Durham ended their up and down season on a winning note.
Martin Davies
13/VIII/2026
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