- The Blaze are now one of England’s leading women’s cricket teams
- Trent Bridge has become a major home for women’s cricket in Nottinghamshire
- The Blaze won their first major trophy in a dominant 2024 season
The Blaze have rapidly established themselves as the leading force in women’s cricket across Nottinghamshire and the wider East Midlands, combining success on the field with a growing influence that is helping shape the future of the women’s game.
Based at the world-famous Trent Bridge, The Blaze represent the modern era of women’s cricket in the county. Since emerging from the former Lightning setup, the club has developed into one of the strongest and most recognisable teams in the domestic game, bringing together elite talent, ambitious leadership and a clear pathway for local players.
How The Blaze became one of England’s top women’s teams
Originally formed in 2020 as Lightning during the England and Wales Cricket Board’s restructuring of the women’s domestic game, the side replaced the successful Loughborough Lightning team and united the strongest players from Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire.
The club entered a new chapter in 2023 when it adopted the name The Blaze and moved its primary base to Trent Bridge, a decision that immediately gave the side a stronger identity and a home worthy of its growing ambitions.
Speaking at Trent Bridge following the launch of the new identity, fast bowler Sophie Munro described the excitement surrounding the fresh start.
“There is definitely an extra bit of excitement that comes with training, and being based at, Trent Bridge,” Munro said at the club’s official relaunch.
“There is a sense of a fresh start, being somewhere new, wearing new kit and having a new name, but we’ve got a good bond as a group having been together for a while, and that has made the transition pretty straightforward.”
Munro also revealed how strongly the players connected with the new brand from the very beginning.
“The Blaze name itself was a popular choice among the squad, right from when we first found out that the move to Nottingham was on the cards. It’s great that we, as players, were consulted on it, and that we can represent a brand which, from the start of the process, we helped to establish.”
Read more: Somerset head coach Osborne on life as a leader
Why The Blaze are dominating domestic cricket
That sense of identity has quickly been matched by performances on the field.
After several years of steady progress, The Blaze enjoyed a landmark campaign in 2024 when they captured their first major trophy by winning the Charlotte Edwards Cup. The side dominated the competition from start to finish, winning nine of their 10 group-stage matches before defeating Central Sparks in the semi-final and South East Stars in the final.
Scotland international Kathryn Bryce finished as the competition’s leading run-scorer with 478 runs while captain Kirstie Gordon topped the wicket-taking charts with 22 wickets, underlining the strength and balance within the squad.
The success was another sign of the club’s growing stature within English domestic cricket. What makes The Blaze stand apart is not only their results but the structure behind them. The club has invested heavily in player development, academy pathways and regional opportunities, ensuring young cricketers across Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands can see a genuine route into the professional game.
Women’s cricket in Nottinghamshire is reaching new heights
Nottinghamshire Women continue to play an important role in that pathway system, feeding local talent into The Blaze academy and senior environment.
The move to Trent Bridge has also transformed the visibility of women’s cricket in the county. Access to one of the sport’s most iconic venues has strengthened standards both on and off the field while helping attract talent from across the country.
Former Director of Cricket James Cutt spoke about the significance of the club’s new home during the launch period at Trent Bridge.
“We’re really aware of the iconic nature of this stadium and we are inspired by everything it offers. We see it as our new home, and it’s really beneficial for us being able to interact with the Nottinghamshire players, coaches and support staff and hopefully the way we do things can have an impact on the men’s game as well.”
Cutt also highlighted the wider ambitions behind the project.
“We want to produce cricketers locally from across the East Midlands region and we want to attract players to come and represent The Blaze from elsewhere in the country as well. We believe that being at Trent Bridge can only help both of those facets to develop.”
Also read: The Top 5 Greatest England Women Cricketers of All Time
What comes next for The Blaze at Trent Bridge
Those ambitions continue under current head coach Craig Cumming as The Blaze prepare for a new era of county-based domestic cricket. Importantly, when the women’s regional structure came to an end in 2024, Nottinghamshire chose to retain The Blaze identity rather than return to a traditional county title, a reflection of how quickly the brand has become established within the sport.
Now competing in both the Women’s One-Day Cup and the Women’s T20 Blast, The Blaze enter the 2025 season as one of the premier teams in the English women’s game.
With silverware already secured, a world-class home at Trent Bridge and a squad packed with international experience and emerging local talent, The Blaze have become far more than a regional success story. They are now the standard-bearers for women’s cricket in Nottinghamshire and one of the brightest names in the domestic game.
Stay up to date with all the latest County Cricket news at read cricket.com also follow us on instagram.
