By Grockle
July 8 2025

Missed the game due to issues with the bis company, Somerset Council and a bunch of invading travellers.  So a summary instead of a live commentary omn events I'm afraid Apologies 

Women's Blast Somerset v Essex

After the close run game against Hampshire on Sunday where it was another case of "Close but no cigar" the side will probably look pretty much the same as that one 

Somerset field

Bex Odgers, Naimh Holland, Ruby Davis, Fran Wilson, Jess Hazell, Alex Griffiths, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Chloe Skelton, Hollie Robbins, Olivia Barnes, Erin Vikusic

Ruby Davis  comes in for Sophie Luff  while Holland takes over the captaincy.  Somerset won the toss and decided to bowl first.

Essex went off at a pace and had 30 by the middle of the 4th over when Somerset struck twice to slow the progress.  Barnes had Winfield-Hill LBW while Vikusic had Scrivens caight by the last bowler with the first ball of the next 30 for 0 was 30 for 2.

The next pair Griffith and Grewcock settled in and added 58 in the next 8 overs  before Mollie Robbins had Griffith (Essex) caught by Griffiths (Somerset).  88 for 3 became 115 for 4 when we finally got rid of Grewcock for 45 from 34 balls via the bowling of Wellington and the safe hands of Vikusic in the 16th.  The new pair of Gardener and Penna fought back until the last ball when at 155, Griffiths bowled Gardener for 22 from 12 leaving Penna unbeaten on 21.

A solid looking performance with the wickets spread amongst 5 of the six bowlers used with Skelton missing out.  All the bowlers went for a few but it is a dry and warm day  so that score on this ground is not beyond the side.

The Reply

Odgers and Holland got off to a solid start before they did the same as the Essex opening pair, both going on the same score only 11 ahead of their opponents.  At 41 at the end of the 5th over with 20 to her name, Odgers was caught by MacGregor off the bowling of Gay.  3 balls later Holland  followed her for the same score caught by Winfield-Hill off the bowling of the catcher of wicket 1 (coincidence after coincidence!!).

Davis and Wilson took over and pushed the score past 50 and on to 87 before Davis fell plimb in front to a ball from MacGregor again.  She made 19 from 16 with 2 fours.  Presently Somerset are slightly behind the run rate required of 8 but only at 7 and a half with Wilson (27 from 23) having been joined by Wellington (5 from 5).  They have reached 97 from 12.5 overs for the loss of 3 wickets.  They require another 59 runs from 43 balls and this game is on a knife edge.

During my travels to the second game the women kept at it and WON.  More to come later.  Well played ladies - the only way is UP!!

So looking at the end of the game, Wilson's and Wellington's partnership clicked and held the Somerset innings together.  Although they didn't see the end of the game, they stayed and scored for long enough to put the finishing line in front of the bats who cme after them.  Fran Wilson was bowled by MacGregor for 41 from 32 balls at 132 for 4 in the 16th. Jess Hazell  replaced her but only just into the 17th when she was dismissed for 2 by Scrivens and the hands of Smale.  Wellington was still there at 140, joined by Griffiths who supported while the bat already established pushed the score to 151 at the start of the last over when Wellington  was caught by Gray also off the bowling of Scrivens.  

Needing 5 from 5 Chloe Skelton came out, took a single and then the game was won when the bat and the keeper missed the ball and it rolled to the boundary for four byes and the victory was secured with Alex up the other end with 7.  156 for 6 and two points!!