The Cricketer looks at the main talking points from the Women's T20 Blast match between Bears and The Blaze at the Kia Oval
Issy Wong was, by a distance, the player of the match as Bears stunned The Blaze to come through the eliminator at the Kia Oval.
Coming to the crease in the second over after key batter Davina Perrin fell for one, Wong belted 59 in just 38 balls, including six fours and two sixes.
The England quick hadn't passed 33 in the competition until Sunday, but she embraced the occasion of Finals Day to star in front of a decent afternoon crowd in south London.
Then, with The Blaze still favourites to progress after a group stage in which they lost just twice, she demolished the top order, with Tammy Beaumont castled by a delivery that shot between bat and pad, before Kathryn Bryce edged her first ball behind.
Wong returned later to bounce out Sarah Bryce, later claiming the final wicket to put the final flourish on an inspired individual display.
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Bears reached the final against Surrey (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Sterre Kalis provided fine support for Wong, making 45 for Bears, having dashed from Northampton to London on Saturday night.
The Dutch batter, on loan at Bears, has enjoyed a bizarre weekend, turning out for Yorkshire at tier-two Finals Day at Wantage Road, 24 hours earlier.
She made one run in two innings for her parent county, who were beaten by 10 wickets in Saturday's final by Middlesex, before dashing into an Uber to shlep her down to the Kia Oval.
She shared a 64-run stand with Wong, guiding Bears to a competitive total that ultimately proved too great for The Blaze, who were missing both Amy Jones and Nat Sciver-Brunt, neither of whom were available to Kirstie Gordon's side.
Issy Wong had a terrific game (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
There were three wickets apiece for the wrist-spinners on display, but it was Millie Taylor – Bears' young left-armer – who stole the show, outstripping Sarah Glenn, whose three-fer came in a losing cause.
Glenn has fallen out of favour with England over recent months, and there is an ongoing search for a leggie closer to the mould of Alana King, a greater turner of the ball who embarrassed England over the winter.
Taylor offers a different challenge, spinning her stock-ball into the right-hander. But that point of difference is the sort of thing that England are looking for. She has worked with Jake Lintott, the Warwickshire Men's left-arm wrist-spinner, since Bears became a tier-one county, and that work with Lintott – who worked in coaching before coming into the professional game late – has paid dividends.
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