The Reality of Covering Women's Cricket: Tier Two Blast Finals Day 2025

When you tell someone that you’re spending your weekend at two finals days, the response “oh that’s exciting”.

Music, pyrotechnics, mascot races, beer snakes and a sold-out stadium is what most envision. The Oval should feel (slightly) closer to that reality after 12 hours in Northampton at yet another disappointing finals day for women’s cricket.

Whether it was the toilet facilities which were remanent of those available during the Manchester Marathon or the hazardous amount of extension cables eventually sourced for the press who were mostly sat outside the pavilion building.

Hosting four teams, three games back-to-back and lots of club media isn’t the simplest logistically but, if you are willing to host a final, you must be willing to facilitate all that comes with it.

A small coffee van serving hot drinks and cakes was the only food outlet in the ground which also closed around 7pm. A number of spectators ordered delivery food to the gate, a sight which caused déjà vu from the 2024 Charlotte Edwards Cup final in Derby where just a tuck shop was open.

Expectations were not high for the crowd figure but even then it was still disappointing. Just over one hundred (at the most) were in attendance across the day, the squads and support staff probably equating to that total too. If Northants had qualified for finals day perhaps there may have been a few keen members turn up but it didn’t even feel like there were many friends or family.

For those (the many) who did not make the trip to Northampton a quality live stream was available with commentators who know the ins and outs of the women’s game. However, just two commentators for a theoretical 120 overs tells the true story.

Anyway…on to the cricket.

Middlesex wrapped up their semi final against Leicestershire, easing past the Foxes in difficult weather conditions. The pitch became a slip and slide, the ball like a bar of soap for the Leicestershire players, a consequence of the square remaining uncovered as rain fell and wheel on covers being the wicket’s only protection. Glamorgan scored a below part 124/9 in their semi final, Yorkshire heading to the final unbeaten in the competition.

Expectation on their shoulders, the mighty Yorkshire crumbled under the pressure, 14/3 in the fourth over. 100 looked miles away but the side scrambled to 101/9 against underdogs Middlesex.

It was another simple 10 wicket victory for Middlesex, led by Finty Trussler and Issy Routledge with the bat who ensured the title for Middlesex as the inaugural winners of the T20 Vitality Blast League Two.

This is not just a list of complaints (if it was it would definitely be longer) it’s merely an example, one of many, of the poor and disappointing experience of attending an event which should be the crown jewel of the season for Tier 2.

In women’s sport (or anything involving women asking for basics) everyone is expected to be extremely grateful and never complain as if it is an honour to even exist. It’s getting boring, in fact it’s been boring for a while.

Allegedly this is a new era for women’s cricket so why are so many of the issues just the same. If you continually asked you ‘would this happen in the men’s game’ anyone would quickly spiral into a bit of a depressive state.