Warwickshire fast bowler Issy Wong calls for both women's and men's teams to share the same stage for the T20 Blast finals.
Warwickshire's Issy Wong would like to see both women's and men's teams share the same stage for the T20 Blast finals.
The Blaze and Warwickshire played an eliminator at the inaugural women's Finals Day on Sunday to see who would meet group winners Surrey, who qualified automatically for the final.
The Bears beat The Blaze, but then had less than an hour to prepare for the final which Surrey won by five wickets at the Kia Oval.
The men's Finals Day has featured two semi-finals and a final since its inception in 2003.
"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," Wong told BBC Radio WM.
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."
An ECB-led restructure fully aligned women's domestic cricket with the men's county game for the first time this season.
Eight top-tier women's county sides were chosen to contest the inaugural T20 Blast and One-Day Cup competitions above a 10-team second tier.
"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," Wong said.
"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 fell out of favour with selectors after making her England debut in 2022, with World Cup-winning coach Mark Robinson critical of how she was managed by the ECB.
But she looked back to her best in Sunday's eliminator, top-scoring with a 38-ball 59 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," Wong said.
"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."
Category: General Sports
