In the wake of a powerful all-round performance during the inaugural Women’s T20 Blast Finals Day, Warwickshire pacer Issy Wong voiced a compelling vision for the future of English domestic cricket, one where men’s and women’s teams share the same grand finale platform.
Wong’s Warwickshire triumphed over The Blaze in a high-stakes eliminator, only to return to the field less than an hour later to face Surrey in the final. Fatigue may have played its part, as Surrey clinched victory by five wickets at the Kia Oval. Reflecting on the intense schedule of the Blast, Wong proposed a revamped structure that mirrors the men’s Finals Day format.
Wong proposed, “For the finals, can we maybe mix the men’s and women’s and have a semi-final day and a final day, because we’ve just played a game 45 minutes before.”
She added: “We earned our place in that final and to have the opportunity to attack it on fresh legs would be a fantastic thing for the competition because those finals should be played to the highest standard.”
Since 2003, the men’s T20 Blast Finals Day has consisted of two semi-finals and a final, offering teams time to recover and fans a full-day cricketing spectacle. Wong’s suggestion to synchronize both men’s and women’s finals into a similar two-day event opens the door to greater visibility, audience engagement, and competitive excellence.
This year marked a significant turning point as the ECB realigned the women’s domestic structure with the men’s county framework. Eight elite county teams participated in the inaugural editions of both the Women’s T20 Blast and One-Day Cup, with another 10 sides forming the second division. Wong believes this alignment is already paying dividends.
“In terms of how the county structure has taken off, I couldn’t be more pleased with how I feel the game is growing, and it just keeps on growing every year. Today was an example that if you put our game on the biggest stage and you market it well, people will come because it’s entertaining,” Wong said.
After making her England debut in 2022, Wong found herself on the sidelines, with former England coach Mark Robinson expressing concerns over her treatment within the national setup. But now, looking back to her recent feat, she expressed her joy to her best in Sunday’s eliminator, top-scoring with a 38-ball 59 runs before removing England star Tammy Beaumont and Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce cheaply on her way to figures of 4/14.
“I’ve loved every second of playing this year. You can’t come in and have a bad day really because whatever you need someone will give, and it’s been a fantastic place to play cricket this year, ” Wong expressed.
(Quotes sourced from BBC)
