Under the twilight skies at Grub St, Outwood Blazes squeaked past Oxted by six runs in a Surrey Women's Shield 5 clash that had more twists than a rollercoaster—and more drama than a soap opera.

Batting first after being politely asked to do so (well, more Maz lost the toss), the Blazes crafted a steady start before putting their foot on the gas in the middle overs. Captain Maz Graham led the charge with a swashbuckling 36 off 24 balls, peppering the boundary like she was playing darts. Vanessa Burgess chipped in with a determined 26 off 37, while Bernie Thomson contributed 14 off 19 before deciding that batting was overrated and dismissing herself with a rather unfortunate hit wicket—perhaps the pressure of entertaining the crowd got to her.

Oxted’s Philippa Soodeen kept the Blazes on their toes, bagging three wickets, including the prized scalp of Maz, but the real villain of the night for Oxted turned out to be their own generosity—27 extras sneakily padded Outwood’s total, bringing them to 114.

The chase began with promise as Rebecca Kirk went full throttle, hammering 40 off 22 balls, supported by Ali Langham’s composed 19 off 21. Oxted seemed to be coasting before the Blazes decided to turn the script upside down. Wickets fell, panic set in, and Marianna Graham bowled with laser-like accuracy, returning figures of 0/16 in four overs —though she did get in on the action elsewhere, running out Ava Wegorek just when the pressure peaked.

Rachel Walters played hero with two crucial wickets late on, though her audition for future highlight reels took an unexpected turn when she generously offered Oxted an extra life by dropping a sitter of a caught-and-bowled. Perhaps she felt the game needed just a bit more tension.

With 11 required off the final over and three wickets left, the game teetered on the edge. Thomson, perhaps still keen to steal the spotlight after her earlier self-dismissal, pulled off a runout on the last ball, sealing victory for the Blazes in dramatic fashion.

And with that, Outwood Blazes walked off the field victorious—having survived a hit-wicket, a dropped dolly, and an extras tally that resembled a charity drive. Oxted fought bravely but ultimately left wondering what could have been, if not for their own generosity and some chaotic moments in crunch time.