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Defeat for Somerset in Blast opener
Half centuries from Paige Schofield and Danni Wyatt-Hodge saw Surrey come out on top against Somerset in the Vitality Blast at the Cooper Associates County Ground.
A crowd of more than 2000 was present for the opening game of this double header and although those of a West Country persuasion were left disappointed by the result, they were treated to a batting display of high quality from the visitors who claimed victory by eight wickets with 4.3 overs remaining
Surrey won the toss and Briony Smith elected to bowl.
Debutant Amelie Munday and Bex Odgers started well and shared an opening stand of 39 before the former played the final ball of the fourth over onto her stumps and departed for 12 from nine balls.
Unfortunately for the hosts, 39 for one soon became 47 for three as first Emma Corney (2) and then Fran Wilson (1) fell in quick succession.
At the end of the six-over powerplay, Somerset had reached 48 for two, and Odgers and Sophie Luff brought up the Somerset 50 in the seventh over. However, Odgers departed for 27 (from 20 deliveries) when Danielle Gregory took a return catch off her opening delivery at 54 for four.
Luff and Alex Griffiths then shared a stand of 34 for the fifth wicket before the Somerset skipper was caught by Tilly Corteen-Coleman on the edge of the circle off the bowling of Phoebe Franklin for 22. This brought Amanda Jade Wellington to the crease, and with her came the expectation of her usual fireworks with the bat.
The Somerset 100 arrived in the 16th over but with the score on 111, the Australian all rounder reverse swept Corteen-Coleman straight to Kalea Moore and had to depart for 11 much to the disappointment of the Somerset faithful.
Griffiths remained unbeaten on 36 as Somerset completed their allotted overs with the scoreboard showing 131 for six.
The home side made early inroads into the Surrey run chase when Smith (4) tried to pull Ellie Anderson but could only top edge the ball to Fran Wilson at backward point at seven for one in the second over.
However, Paige Schofield and Danni Wyatt-Hodge took their side to 44 for one by the end of the powerplay and the Surrey 50 arrived in the eighth over. The 50 partnership arrived from 35 balls and by the halfway stage the visitors were 84 for one.
Schofield received a life on 47 when Mollie Robbins was unlucky not to hold on to a diving catch on the boundary in front of the Trade Nation Stand, and the Surrey 100 arrived in the 12th over.
Schofield’s 50 came from 37 balls, and the 100-partnership arrived from 65 deliveries.
Wyatt-Hodge reached her 50 from 33 balls but the very next delivery saw Schofield bowled around her legs for 63 attempting to reverse sweep Olivia Barnes at 119 for two in the 15th over, but by that point the game was beyond the hosts.
Wyatt-Hodge remained unbeaten on 53 from 35 balls whilst Kira Chathli finished the game with a big six off Chloe Skelton to secure the bonus point win.
At the end of the match, Somerset Head Coach, Trevor Griffin said: : “It’s disappointing to lose in front of our home crowd, but we can’t afford to dwell on it. We need to reset and then go again on Sunday, so we need to pick ourselves up quickly. There are things we need to learn and you can’t afford to lose three wickets in seven balls like we did so early in the innings.
“Surrey bowed nicely and we only scored three boundaries during the middle stage. That’s something else we’ll have to talk about. When we came to bowl, we then sent down too many four balls and gave them too many easy runs. Against two high-quality batters like Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Paige Scholfield, you have to put the ball in the right place consistently. We didn’t do that often enough and they punished us for it.”
