By Grockle
May 30 2025

The first professional double header of the new era as Somerset Women and Men share the spotlight in the first county double as premier cricket teams.  Sophie Luff's Somerset take the stage first against the very strong Surrey.  The internationals taking place against the West Indies mean both sides have lost their home internationals to that call so it will be interesting to see how that affects the relative strength of the two sides.

Women's Vitality Blast @Taunton v Surrey Friday 30 May 2025

The new Somerset team takes place in its first Vitality Blast competition and starts at its home ground.  The international demands have required changes to the squad that has become familiar in the 50 over competition and the following squad has been announced for today;

Ellie Anderson, Olivia Barnes, Emma Corney, Alex Griffiths, Jess Hazel (wk), Niamh Holland, Laura Jackson, Katie Jones, Sophie Luff (c), Amelie Munday, Bex Odgers, Mollie Robbins, Chloe Skelton, Erin Vikusic, Amanda- Jade Wellington, Fran Wilson.

A large squad but certain names have become known over the last few weeks and will probably be already on the scoresheet. There are probably a couple of spaces up for grabs if everyone is fit.  We will see.  Heather Knight, Charlie Dean and Dani Gibson are not available so Amelie Munday and Niamh Holland join the squad for the first time. 

Bryony Smith captains the Surrey team who are probably without Danni Wyatt-Hodge who is on international duty also (it seems she is not as she has been named in the Surrey line-up)

Surrey have won the toss and have elected to field first.  Amelie Munday makes her debut and it looks like Bex Odgers will keep instead of Jess Hazel.

The announced team is;

Corney, Ogders (w), Munday, Wilson, Luff (c), Griffiths,  Wellington, Skelton, Anderson, Robbins, Barnes

Forgotten that they have the Vertu remote car taking out the ball!!  I wnder if they have trained the 'drivers' this seaon or not or whether they've given it to Trego again!!

Odgers opens with Munday against Moore from the River end.  Stonehouse starts from the MT.  Munday takes a liking to her and we come into the 3rd over with 16 on the board with Munday on 12 and Odgers on 3. Bex is looking solid again as she has in most games seen this year.  She passes Munday  in the 4th as Somerset make a very good start going at 10 an over until the last ball of the 4th when Munday gets an inside edge onto her pads and into the wicket bowled by McDonald-Gay from the pavilion end.  It is 39 for 1 at the end of the 4th with Emma Corney coming out to start her batting afternoon. 

Corney is not out there long as she goes for 2 caught at backward point off the bowling of Stonehouse at 46 for 2 as the 5th over comes to a close.  It is a fairly decent crowd for a Friday afternoon with most stands having more than a scattering of people.  The evening fixture is sold out so maybe a number have made a day of it. 

Fran Wilson arrives, makes one and is then out to a nothing shot bowled by Corteen-Colman 47 for 3 and the great start turns into a collapse in mere moments!!  In comes Sophie Luff to put the brakes on that with luck.  She helps to take the score over 50 in her first over

Surrey introduce Gregory from the pavilion and she fools Odgers with her first ball and Bex plops it back to the bowler causing Somerset to fall to 54 for 4 as their main bat in the first part of the innings goes for 27.  Alex Griffiths joins her skipper with a job to do as the good start stutters to a stagger presently.

By the 11th over we've got something like a hold on the game again as we move to 82 for 4 with Griffiths on 10 and Luff with 20.  There is still definitely a job to do here though.  At 88, that job gets harder when Luff flips one into the backfield and is caught easily for 22 by Franklin off the bowling of Corteen-Colman.  5 down and 7 overs and 2 balls to create a defendable target as Amanda-Jade Wellington arrives in the middle. 

Moore is back on for the 15th as we try to move into 3 figures.  We have reached 96 with Griffiths on 15 and Wellington on 5.  There is hope with these two at the crease but they could do with hitting 10 and over for the next 5... and staying in!!

Franklin is on at the Pavilion end and we reach 100 from her 5th ball thanks to some very god boundary fielding from the Surrey fielders.    Griffits goes to the other side and clears the rope to move the score to 105 at the end of the 16th.

Corteen-Colman returns from the River for her third as Surrey push to keep the score down.  Wellingon begs to differ as she straight drives her to the Botham and is looking for scoring shots from every delivery as the end of the innigs moves closer.  She attempts a reverse sweep from the last ball of the 17th but top edges it on 111 and goes to an easy catch by Moore for 11.  In comes Skelton to partner Griffiths who moves to 27 with a pull to the CA boundary from McDonald-Gay at the start of the 18th.  She must see her role as to get Somerset as near to 150 as possible in the last 3 overs.  The home side reach 120for 6 with 12 balls to go.  Corteen-Coleman keeps it tight and looks to keep Skelton on strike if she can.   She manages that and the over only goes for 2 which puts pressure on the higher scorer with the last over coming up.  Moore takes the last one and Griffiths starts with a flash to the Hildreth boundary.  She tries the same the next ball but fails to make contact.  Skelton faces the last ball and nearly takes Moore's head off as they run a muuch needed 2 to push the score to 131 after 20 overs.  After the storming start that is a pretty disappointing score but Alex Griffths pulled it back to something to fight over with her 36 from 37.  Surrey will need 132 to win. 

The Reply  

Smith and Wyatt-Hodge open for the visitors against Chloe Skelton who chooses the River end to start from.  They must be aware that the Surrey opening partnership are capable of winning this on their own if they are allowed to open up on a wicket they are quite familiar with.  Early wickets in a spell of tight bowling is very much the requirement if Somerset are to keep in this game.  After the first the score is 4 as Ellie Anderson opens her account from the pavilion end.  She gets Smith to top edge and attempted pull which goes high and the Surrey captain is out to Fran Wilson's safe hands at 7 for 1 for 4 runs.  In comes Scholfield and that is a start Somerset will be very happy with. 

Robbins takes the second River over and holds the opposition to 16 for 1.  They call the changes at the River with the 5th as Olivia Barnes takes over.  At the 25% point, Surrey have moved to 38 with Wyatt-Hodge on 15 and Scholfield with 19.  Skelton comes on to take the next and at the end of the powerplay the score is 44.  On comes Amanda-Jade Wellington and she holds them below 50 at 48.  Alex Griffiths becomes the next change in bowling as they pass 50 with Scholfield still leading the drive.  Wyatt-Hodge its the first six of the game off Wellington in the 9th to take Surrey to 69.     

One point that is made here is that the square leg umpire is wearing the same colour as the Somerset fielders.  It is deceptive if you aren't aware of it. At the halfway stage Surrey are in front with 84 on the board and no more wickets lost.  Wyatt-Hodge is moving towards 50 though Scholfield might get there first as this game looks to be getting away from the home side.  Scholfield goes for a big one is almost caught by Mollie Robbins who seems to have it but it was more of a "defend the boundary" attempt to be honest.  It would have been a blinder.  The next shot takes Surrey past 100.  At the end of the 12th they have moved to 102 for 1 wth both bats on 48.  The first to 50 is Scholfield as she hits Wellington  back over here head to the Botham to go to 52 from 37 balls.  The 13th ends on 112 for 1.  Surrey need 20 to win and this game is pretty much done.

Ellie Anderson is re-introduced for the 14th but is effectively on a hiding to nothing as far as winning the game is concerned.  Scholfield is in a hurry as she is aware of the bonus point they will get if they win within 16 overs and that may be the only victory Somerset gain today if they can make them work past that before they reach the required total.  It is 117 for 1 after the 14th as  Barnes looks to do the same with the 15th.  After a single off the first, Wyatt-Hodge moves to a 33 ball 50 from the next and the score moves to 119.  However Scholfield tries to reverse sweep and is bowled for 63 which brings in Chathu to finish the game off from 119 for 2. 

With one over to go before the bonus point is no longer available, Surrey are 7 short of victory as the responsibility is taken by Skelton.   Chahu finishes the game with a six into the car park and they get the bonus point with 4 and a half overs left.  Wyatt-Hodge finishes on 53 not out.  Never really in dobt from the 10th over onwards really.

So on we go to match number 2 in the double header.