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Vitality Blast Double Header Preview: Surrey v Somerset
THE MATCHES
Somerset continue the 2025 Vitality Blast with a double header against Surrey at the Kia Oval tomorrow (Sunday July 13th).
Surrey Women v Somerset Women will begin at 11am.
Surrey Men v Somerset Men will begin at 3:30pm.
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 Surrey 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
SURREY WOMEN
Captain:Â Bryony Smith
Overseas players:Â Grace Harris (Australia, available from June 5 until the end of competition)
Key winter moves:Â The big arrivals over the close season are England international Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Australian Grace Harris, both free-scoring batters who fit the profile of a side renowned for aggressive run-making. Alice Monaghan also comes in from Hampshire to offer options with both bat and ball.
The big question:Â How will they fit all the batters in? An already strong line-up now includes Harris and Wyatt-Hodge, the former possessing a higher strike rate (155) in international T20 than any batter achieved domestically in the format last year. Bowling stocks, be that seam or spin are hardly light either, even with skipper Smith and vice-captain Tash Farrant currently battling injuries.
Wildcard watch: Emma Jones. The all-rounder, a student of veterinary surgery at Cambridge, has had three separate contracts with The Hundred franchises, but been held back by injury. Trent Rockets have kept faith for 2025 when Jones’ height with the ball and long levers with the bat may mean that faith is rewarded.
Final thought:Â Under the guise of the South East Stars, the bulk of this group made Finals Day in the Charlotte Edwards Cup in three of the four years it was contested. Only Sophia Dunkley and Alice Davidson-Richards will miss the start of the competition on England duty while rival sides are harder hit. Smith returned from injury during the T20 County Cup and her captaincy and powerplay hitting will be valuable to lead a squad with enough class and depth to be a contender.
SURREY MEN
Captain: Sam Curran
Overseas players: Mitchell Santner (New Zealand, available after IPL and knockout matches), Nathan Smith (New Zealand, full competition)
Finals Day appearances:Â Nine (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2013, 2014, 2020, 2023, 2024)
Titles: One (2003)
2024 finish: Semi-finals
2024 leading run-scorer: Jamie Smith (285)
2024 leading wicket-taker: Tom Curran (16)
Key winter moves: New Zealand’s white-ball captain, Mitchell Santner, is available when the rescheduled IPL finishes and will also be available for the knock-out stages in September if the team – now captained by Sam Curran – qualify for the knockout stages of the competition. Left-arm spinner Santner’s fellow Kiwi, all-rounder Nathan Smith, has already impressed in the Rothesay County Championship as the club’s other new overseas signing this season.
The big question: As ever, and especially after a second successive semi-final exit against Somerset, who beat them by 24 runs in 2023 and then by six wickets last year, Surrey are desperate to jettison the tag of only winning the T20 Cup once before – the inaugural tournament under Adam Hollioake’s captaincy in 2003. There have now been eight unsuccessful Finals Day appearances since that triumph.
Wildcard watch: Dom Sibley. England’s erstwhile 22-times capped Test opener reinvented himself in last season’s Vitality Blast by unveiling some previously unseen strokes – including an extraordinary reverse-scoop for six in his quarter-final winning 67 not out against Durham. Sibley scored 269 runs in 11 matches at the top of the order, at the highly creditable strike rate of 133.83.
Final thought: Surrey are used to it by now – 24 players appeared in last summer’s Blast campaign – but juggling their resources around international call-ups means another big test of the squad’s envied depth. A major plus, however, is Sam Curran’s availability throughout the group stages. Surrey’s new T20 captain, at present surplus to England’s white-ball requirements, played only five Blast innings last year but smashed 13 sixes while scoring 237 runs at a strike rate above 150.
TEAM NEWS
Somerset Women will be without Heather Knight (hamstring), Emma Corney (knee), Amelie Munday (knee) and Charlie Dean (international duty), but Dani Gibson is named in the squad for the first time. Sophie Luff (calf) is a doubt.
A starting XI will be named from the following squad:
Somerset Men will be without Tom Banton (finger). Jame Rew has been called into the squad.
Here is the squad for this fixture:
VIEWS FROM THE DRESSING ROOM
Ahead of the match, Somerset Women Head Coach, Trevor Griffin said: “It was disappointing against Bears yesterday. After the win over Essex I thought we would take some belief into the game, but it wasn’t to be. I thought we bowled extremely well and were good in the field, but it was a game of two halves because it was a disappointing performance with the bat.
“The key thing is that we mustn’t panic. We’ve shown a lot of growth over the last few games and we’ve put ourselves in positions where we could have won more than one of those games. We need to build on what we’re doing well and when we go out to bat we need to make sure that we have real clarity in what we’re doing and approach it with composure.
“We’re excited to have Dani back with us. It’s not just about what she brings out on the park, her knowledge and experience are of huge benefit to the group off the park too. We’re all looking forward to seeing her in Somerset colours for the first time.”
On the eve of this double header, Somerset Men Head Coach, Jason Kerr said: “We’re playing some really good cricket and we want to maintain that momentum for the rest of the tournament. It’s fantastic for the players and the Club that we’ve secured a home quarter-final but we will be doing everything that we can to ensure that complacency doesn’t creep in. The best way to do that is to keep the momentum going by beating Surrey tomorrow.
“It’s disappointing for Bants that he’ll miss a few games now but we have to look at these things optimistically, and it creates an opportunity for someone else to step up and show what they can do.”
TRADE NATION STAT
CLASSIC MATCH
We go back to 2023 for the classic T20 match between the two sides at the Kia Oval.
It was a game that saw Somerset come out on top by 18 runs, thanks in no small part to 84 from just 44 balls from Tom Banton and four wickets for Matt Henry.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
If you are planning to attend the match, all the information you need can be found on the official Surrey CCC Website.
NEXT MATCH
Somerset Women are next in action on Wednesday (July 16th) when we face The Blaze at the Cooper Associates County Ground in the Vitality Blast.
Tickets for this match are still available!
Somerset Men’s next match will take place on July 18th when we welcome Gloucestershire to the Cooper Associates County Ground in the Vitality Blast.
This match is SOLD OUT!
