Vitality Blast - League Two, Northampton
Glamorgan 174-3 (20): L Parfitt 50, Sturge 42*
Northants 141-7 (20): Kemp 41, Reid 30; Porter 4-21, Sturge 2-23
Megan Sturge delivered a standout performance, scoring a rapid 42 not out and taking the first two wickets as unbeaten Glamorgan secured a 33-run victory over Northants.
Sturge contributed significantly to Glamorgan's total of 174-3, supporting captain Lauren Parfitt who scored 50 off 38 balls, marking her fifth half-century in 10 innings during the 2026 season.
On loan from Hampshire and typically a wicket-keeper, Sturge then dismissed Northants' openers Amelia Kemp (41) and Mabel Reid (30). Gemma Porter complemented this effort by taking 4-21, restricting Northants to 141-7 in their 20 overs.
Glamorgan have now achieved four wins in the T20 Blast and ten victories across all three competitions, aiming to secure a place in the second tier Finals Day at their Sophia Gardens home ground on Sunday, 12 July.
Glamorgan, who will become a professional team next season, introduced on-loan Durham batter Leah Dobson for her debut, while Northants featured Essex academy seamer Clara Thaker, 17, making her first appearance.
Reliable openers Daisy Jeanes and Parfitt put together 48 runs during the power-play and had reached 71 when Jeanes (29) was dismissed, driving Thaker's third ball to mid-on after being dropped twice earlier in the innings.
Glamorgan were well-positioned at 88-1 at the halfway mark. Parfitt struck eight boundaries before being caught at long-on off Italian international Lenny Sims, the seventh bowler used.
Dobson was then dismissed by Anisha Patel for 15, slowing the visitors' momentum as boundary scoring decreased until the final overs.
Sturge and Bethan Gammon (29 not out) provided crucial late acceleration, running hard in a partnership worth 71 runs.
For Northants Steelbacks, Mabel Reid and Amelia Kemp started strongly, finding gaps early to add 68 runs before Sturge, who had kept wicket in five previous appearances, stumped Reid for 29 with Gammon acting as wicket-keeper.
At 73-1 after 10 overs, Northants required over ten runs per over in the latter half of their innings.
A faster ball from Sturge deceived Kemp as she attempted to charge but missed, while medium-pacer Eve Jackson bowled economically, conceding just 25 runs.
Home skipper Gemma Marriott (23) and Beth Ascott hit successive balls from Porter to point, attempting to initiate a late surge.
Alicia Presland (21) was one of two lbw dismissals by Porter, who effectively ended the contest with her bowling figures of 4-21.
