The Blaze, 346-9 tie with Surrey 349-9

An incredible game of cricket at Beckenham saw The Blaze tie with Surrey in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, after Dani Gregory scrambled a single off the last ball. Spectators were treated to a high-scoring, dramatic affair with ebbs and flows, as both sides showcased incredible resilience and talent in a match that wil live long in the memory.

Georgia Elwiss shone for The Blaze, scoring 82 as her side set a remarkable total of 346, and took 3-35 in their bid to defend it. But Alice Capsey replied in kind for Surrey, scoring a career best 125 to drag the home side back from the brink. Surrey's number ten Alexa Stonehouse then played a remarkable cameo as the match went down to the very last ball, with Dani Gregory's single ensuring a draw.

Losing the toss under bright sunshine, The Blaze were sent in to bat, and welcomed New Zealand International Maddy Green into the line-up as she made her debut. On a wicket that's traditionally batter friendly, The Blaze did not dissapoint.

Amy Jones was dominant from the off, and despite Alexa Stonehouse managing to remove Tammy Beaumont for 8, it was a mere blip on the radar as Jones and Kathryn Bryce began an onslaught.

Jones played with total freedom, scoring fluently through the off-side, and picking off short bowling to pull comfortably to the short boundary. Bryce was excellent in support, as the pair put on 113 for the second wicket.

Continuing to accelerate, Jones reached 80 before nicking off to Dani Gregory, ending a superb innings that included 14 boundaries, as The Blaze raced to 135-2 through 22 overs.

Kathryn Bryce was joined by sister Sarah who also looked well set, and raised the bat for her own half century before she was bowled by Ryana MacDonald-Gay on 56.

Sarah Bryce and Georgia Elwiss were next to build a solid partnership, with Elwiss in particular getting the bit between her teeth. They added another 45 runs before Bryce (34) edged Alexa Stonehouse and Kira Chathli took a sharp one-handed catch - The Blaze now 204-4 after 32 overs.

Dani Gregory temporarily slowed The Blaze’s progress by bowling both Maddy Green (21) and Ella Claridge (7) in successive overs, but Elwiss and Kirstie Gordon responded in fine fashion.

The pair showed brilliant intent - Elwiss took Surrey's bowlers for six on two occasions to the short side, and Gordon swang hard and ran even harder as the pair put on 63 in just over seven overs. Elwiss reached her fifty during this period, and the pair took the total above 330 before Gordon was run out for 26 in the 49th over.

Elwiss fell for a superb 82 in the final over, reaching her innings total in just 67 balls and adding incredible late punch to bring The Blaze to a final score of 346-9 through the full fifty overs.

Faced with a monumental task, Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt-Hodge started in reasonable fashion - but Dunkley never looked fully settled, and edged behind off Cassidy McCarthy on 20, with Surrey beginning their chase 57-1 through ten overs.

Alice Capsey joined the fray, and was looking solid alongside her England teammate, before Kathryn Bryce struck to remove Wyatt-Hodge (43), caught at backward square by Josie Groves. 

New batter Paige Scholfield went on the attack, smashing multiple sixes as the run chase went up a gear. The Surrey total went past 150, but Schofield soon fell for 37 of 31 balls, miscuing a ball from Georgia Elwiss as Kathryn Bryce took a brilliant diving catch at deep midwicket - Surrey now 156-3 through 24 overs.

The Blaze then seemed to take control of the game as they orchestrated a mini collapse in Surrey's middle order. Davidson-Richards fell for one, caught and bowled off Josie Groves, Elwiss removed Chathli for five, and Phoebe Franklin fell for 17 off Elwiss as Surrey stuttered to 6-204 through 32 overs.

All the while, Capsey continued her excellent display, showing maturity and the ability to score off the right balls to keep the chase alive.

Kalea Moore (10) was caught by Gordon off McCarthy, but Capsey reached her maiden List A century by sweeping Gordon for four. With Surrey gaining momentum, Grace Ballinger was
re-introduced into the attack, and removed the charging MacDonald-Gay for 27 via a sharp catch from Elwiss, the home side now needing 55 runs from 37 balls with just two wickets in hand.

Alexa Stonehouse joined Capsey, and began batting with far more control and confidence than her batting position suggested. Capsey finally mistimed a delivery and skied Ballinger to Gordon, ending her excellent display on 125 and seemingly ending Surrey's hopes, with their last wicket pair of Stonehouse and Gregory needing 40 runs off 29 balls.

But Stonehouse managed to hit sixes off the late overs, and incredibly dragged the game to the final over, with Surrey needing nine.

Grace Ballinger stepped up, and given the context of the game, bowled remarkably well. Stonehouse hit Ballinger’s first ball for four, but The Blaze bowler responded by keeping the next four balls to three runs, leaving Gregory on strike with Surrey needing two to win.

She straight drove Ballinger and scrambled through for a single to create an incredible tie, with both sides left to reflect on a stunning contest.