Emma Jones fired The Blaze to a comfortable nine-wicket victory over Essex in a much-reduced first semi-final of Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup Finals Day.

Jones, a former Essex all-rounder, plundered an unbeaten 26 from 14 balls in a as The Blaze cruised past the Eagles’ total of 44-3 with nine balls to spare.

Tammy Beaumont had given them a flying start with six off her second ball, and although she was run out by Esmae MacGregor, Jones completed the victory with three consecutive boundaries.

It left The Blaze waiting to see whether they would face Surrey or Somerset in the final, with the other semi-final also set to be a five-over affair.

Finals Day seemed to be heading for a complete washout as heavy drizzle fell constantly, with the indoor school at Emirates Old Trafford prepared for bowl-outs.

However, the umpires pounced at the first sight of a break in the rain, and agreed on a 4:50pm start – with both semi-finals reduced to five overs per side to leave as much time as possible for the final.

Kirstie Gordon won the toss for The Blaze and inserted Essex, whose captain Grace Scrivens did her best to provide the necessary flying start by scoring 15 of the 18 they compiled from the first two overs.

However, Scrivens fell to Grace Ballinger, caught and bowled off a steepling chance, in the third over, and the Eagles’ efforts fell away from there.

Ballinger conceded only 16 from her two overs and Gordon was even more economical, earning one for six from her single over which included the key wicket of Jodi Grewcock, bowled around her legs.

Beaumont then showed her class with a superb catch at deep midwicket to dismiss Liberty Heap off Charley Phillips.

Despite an unbeaten 18 from Lissy Macleod, Essex’s total felt a little short, and so it proved as Jones and Beaumont raced to 27 without loss from the first two overs of the chase.

The loss of the latter failed to dent the chase, as Jones finished things off with a flourish to ensure her new side, whom she joined at the start of 2026, would triumph over her old one.