Finals Day 'best times of my career' - Grace Ballinger column

Grace Ballinger, The Blaze's left-arm seamer, looks at Women's T20 Blast Finals Day which takes place at The Oval on Friday.

The summer of 2026 has already been a colossal one for English cricket.

Fans all over the country have been engulfed, often divided, by mid-match international retirements, women's T20 World Cup and Test defeats, and currently, a competitive white-ball series for the men's side against India.

All the while, domestic cricket has continued, sometimes out the limelight, but this weekend it comes to the fore with the finals of both the men's and women's T20 Blast competitions.

On Friday the top four women's teams of the 2026 campaign battle for silverware at The Oval, with Edgbaston hosting the men's Finals Day 24 hours later.

This is the second women's Finals Day since the women's domestic game went fully professional, and two of last years three qualifying teams (Surrey and The Blaze) will return to The Oval once again.

The 2025 Finals Day contained only three teams, with the table-toppers automatically qualifying for the final. This year there are four teams, the schedule mirroring that of the men's competition.

In a previous article, I wrote that I think that four teams reaching Finals Day in a nine team league (compared to 18 counties in the men's Blast), is at least one too many.

I therefore am relieved that The Blaze - my team - finished third and not fourth!

We will play last summer's champions, Surrey, in the opening semi-final, whilst 2026 table-toppers Hampshire will face Durham (who make it out of the group stages for the first time in any competition) in the afternoon.

The final is then scheduled for that evening at 18:45 BST.

In the men's competition, Finals Day has been moved from September to mid-summer, immediately following the group stages and quarter-finals - a welcome change.

This now means both the women's and the men's T20 champions will conclude before the scene of domestic cricket changes for the Hundred.

During the Hundred, the women's (professional) county game pauses, while for the men, the One-Day cup competition begins.