Vitality Blast Final - Regina Suddahazai

An Historic Day at The Kia Oval

On Sunday 27 July 2025, the first‑ever Vitality Blast Women’s Finals Day took place at the iconic Kia Oval in London, a landmark moment in women’s domestic cricket in England!

The group‑stage winners Surrey qualified directly for the final, while the second and third‑placed teams, The Blaze and Birmingham Bears faced off in an Eliminator knock‑out earlier in the day.

The Eliminator

First up, The Blaze took on Birmingham Bears in a high‑pressure eliminator clash. Preceding the final, The Blaze and the Bears had each won eight group‑stage games; the Bears clinched third place and a spot in the eliminator after a tense tied match earlier in the season and a strong finish to their campaign. Having stars such as Davina Perrin, Laura Harris and Millie Taylor, Bears looked to maybe be the slightly stronger side especially with the absence of England stars Nat Sciver-Brunt and Amy Jones from The Blaze.

The Bears prevailed in the eliminator to advance to the final, earning the right to challenge Surrey later in the day. Player of the match Issy Wong blew the game away taking 4 wickets as well as scoring 59 of 38 balls.

The Final

Surrey’s match‑winner was Australian all‑rounder Grace Harris, whose breathtaking 63 off 33 balls (featuring two sixes and seven fours) took her side to victory with five wickets in hand and 20 balls to spare. Kira Chathli sealed it with the winning hit and was supported by excellent fielding and bowling, including Phoebe Franklin’s 2–16 and crucial run‑outs

The victory crowned Surrey as the inaugural Women’s Vitality Blast champions, a fitting achievement at their home ground!

The day marked the first standalone Women’s Blast Finals Day, staged alongside the men’s competition at a major venue. This is a major step in aligning women’s and men’s domestic cricket.

The tone around the ground was energised, positive, and hopeful making the day not just a win for Surrey, but a statement for the women’s game. This was especially followed up by Issy Wong halting the press conference to watch the Euro penalties.

The ground erupted cheering on the lionesses- a true testament to the power of women’s sport! Have a watch here what the atmosphere was like!

Also watch here to see what my day as a cricket content creator is like for Take Her Lead!