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Vitality Blast Double Header Preview: Hampshire Hawks v Somerset
THE MATCHES
Somerset continue the 2025 Vitality Blast with a double header against Hampshire at Utilita Bowl tomorrow (Sunday July 6th).
Hampshire Women v Somerset Women will begin at 11am.
Hampshire Men v Somerset Men will begin at 3pm.
Tickets for this double header are still available.
HOW CAN I KEEP UP TO DATE?
You can keep up to date using the dedicated Match Centre on this website which will feature a live stream of the action courtesy of Hampshire CCC.
In-play updates will also appear on our X feed (formerly Twitter).
In addition to this, a report on the day’s play along with quotes will be posted on this website.
THE OPPOSITION
HAMPSHIRE HAWKS WOMEN
Captain: Georgia Adams
Overseas players: Charli Knott (Australia, full competition), Ellyse Perry (Australia, last six matches + Finals Day if Hawks qualify)
Key winter moves: The Vipers to Hawks transition saw more outgoings than incomings – with the likes of Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Georgia Elwiss, Emily Windsor, Alice Monaghan and Charlie Dean all departing. With younger players given more chances and responsibility. But one new face looms large – the Australian great Ellyse Perry.
The big question: Will Ellyse Perry get Hawks over the line when she arrives? There is huge excitement about Perry’s signing but her introduction at Chesterfield on July 4, with six matches to go, may well be perfectly timed to get them to Finals Day, but equally Hampshire could be only playing for pride.
Wildcard watch: Mary Taylor. The fast bowler missed the start of the season with a finger injury but her return in the Vitality County Cup saw her take a four for 26 in an innings none of her team-mates went at under 10s and Surrey smashed 237. A bustling and uber-accurate presence with the ball, Taylor is also more than capable of bunting late-innings runs.
Final thought: The likes of Ella McCaughan, Rhianna Southby, and Bex Tyson massively stepped up in the first Metro Bank One-Day Cup block to fill the experience void, and send Hampshire top of the 50-over table. A replication of that, and Maia Bouchier shaking off her Ashes disappointments, put Hawks in a good position to continue the proud record of women’s cricket at Utilita Bowl. Paul Prichard and co. have seamlessly made sure there has been no disruption since Charlotte Edwards’ exit.
HAMPSHIRE HAWKS MEN
Captain: James Vince
Overseas players: Lhuan-dre Pretorius (South Africa, 10 matches from June 13), Dewald Brevis (South Africa, full competition)
Finals Day appearances: 10 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Titles: Three (2010, 2012, 2022)
2024 finish: Seventh (South Group)
2024 leading runscorer: Joe Weatherley (324)
2024 leading wicket taker: John Turner (15)
Key winter moves: The Hawks have completely refreshed their overseas contingent with two of the most exciting young players in the world. Lhuan-dre Pretorius was the top run-scorer in the SA20 over the winter and wunderkind Dewald Brevis. Fast bowler Sonny Baker is also added from last year’s Blast.
The big question: Can James Vince feel at home again? The Hawks skipper is only playing in the Blast for Hampshire this year after moving to Dubai over the winter. He had a rare lean 2024 – understandable after attacks on his family house – but the Blast’s all-time leading run scorer has been tearing up franchise leagues around the world and is ready to return to the UK with his destructive brand of cricket.
Wildcard watch: Dewald Brevis. Has been mentored by South African great AB de Villiers and it shows. He burst onto the scene by breaking the most runs at the 2022 U19 World Cup. He ended that year by smashing 162 in 57 balls – the joint third highest T20 score of all-time. More recently, he won the SA20 with MI Cape Town with the competition’s highest strike-rate. Also bowls very useful leg-spin.
Final thought: Having won the Blast in 2022, before reaching Finals Day the following year, 2024 was underwhelming, filled with a series of overseas not arriving and general under performance. The new Proteas contingent provides an exciting new headline but the core squad, that knows the unique challenges of the expansive Utilita Bowl, is still there. Vince should return fresher without two months of Rothesay County Championship cricket in his legs but with PSL form.
TEAM NEWS
Somerset Women will be without Heather Knight (hamstring), Dani Gibson (back), Emma Corney (knee), Amelie Munday (knee) and Charlie Dean (international duty).
A starting XI will be named from the following squad:
Somerset Men have named the following squad for this fixture:
VIEWS FROM THE DRESSING ROOM
Ahead of the match, Somerset Women Head Coach, Trevor Griffin said: “It was another close game against Durham and I was pleased by how we went about the elements that we’ve been working on during the break. I thought the bowling was excellent and the only extra we conceded was a leg bye. I was impressed by how we took the pace off the ball and Erin Vukusic was outstanding.
“We were in a good position at the halfway stage and Bex Odgers was outstanding with the bat as was Jess Hazell but ultimately we couldn’t quite keep the scoreboard moving at the rate that we needed. We know we’ve got the talent, we just need to have a little bit more belief.
“Hampshire are a good side with some quality players but we just need to focus on what we need to do to get that first win under our belts.”
On the eve of the match, Somerset Men Head Coach, Jason Kerr said: “It was a frustrating evening against Glamorgan but the beauty of the competition is that you get the opportunity to bounce back quickly. Confidence is still high and we’re looking forward to the game. We’ve had some good conversations about last night and we need to make sure that we’re mentally ready to go and we execute a little bit better than we did against Glamorgan. We’re frustrated about last night but we’re still top of the table and we want to get back to winning ways as quickly as we can.
“Hampshire are a good side and we’ve had some good battles with them over the years. They’re very good on their home patch and they’ve got some really good individuals so we’ll need to keep them quiet.”
TRADE NATION STAT
CLASSIC MATCH
We head back to August 2019 for the classic T20 match between Somerset and Hampshire at Utilita Bowl.
It was a game that Somerset won by 63 runs (D/L method) thanks to a stunning century from Babar Azam.
Hampshire skipper, James Vince won the toss and elected to field.
Tom Banton fell early to leave Somerset on seven for one, and when James Hildreth was dismissed the visitors were 37 for two in the fifth over.
However, Babar Azam smashed his was to 102 not out from just 55 balls to help ensure that Somerset posted a total of 202 for four from their allotted overs. Tom Abell also impressed with the bat making 57 from 36 balls.
Hampshire slumped to 29 for three in the fifth over and never fully recovered.
When rain started to fall, the hosts were on 69 for six in the 13th over, a long way off the necessary total required for victory.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
If you are planning to attend the match, all the information you need can be found on the official Hampshire CCC Website.
NEXT MATCH
Somerset Men and Women are next in action on Tuesday (July 8th) when they take on their Essex counterparts in a Vitality Blast double header fixture at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.
Tickets for this match are still available!
