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Women’s Vitality Blast Preview: Durham v Somerset
THE MATCH
Somerset travel to the Banks Homes Riverside, Chester-le-Street to take on Durham in the Vitality Blast tomorrow (Friday July 4th).
Play is due to get underway at 2:30pm.
This match is part of a double header which will also see Durham Men take on Notts Outlaws.
Somerset will be looking for our first win of the campaign, whilst Durham currently sit in seventh place in the group with eight points from their eight matches.
HOW CAN I KEEP UP TO DATE?
You can keep up to date using the dedicated Match Centre on this website.
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
DURHAM
Captain:Â Hollie Armitage
Overseas player:Â Suzie Bates (New Zealand, full competition)
Key winter moves: Durham have signed a plethora of eye-catching talent, some young, some experienced. England stars Hollie Armitage, Lauren Filer, Bess Heath and Mady Villiers are chief amongst them. New Zealand batting legend Suzie Bates will be key to their hopes of success. Given the importance of quality spin in T20 cricket, the presence of gun leg-spinner Katie Levick in Durham’s line-up may be most telling.
The big question: It’s been an inconsistent start to the summer for Durham in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, winning three of eight matches. Perhaps that’s understandable given this was a newly assembled squad for 2025. But, a couple of months down the line, can they kick on in the Blast and challenge the competition favourites such as The Blaze and Lancashire Thunder?
Wildcard watch: Grace Thompson. The 17-year-old fast bowler has all the attributes to be a future star for Durham and England. Tall, pacy, accurate and with, seemingly, a good temperament. Think Lauren Bell, and you won’t be a million miles off if you haven’t seen her. Amazing Grace? Quite possibly. If Thompson gets it right in the Blast, she will be hot property.
Final thought: The next couple of months are key for the progression of women’s cricket in Durham. With the likelihood of bigger crowds for Blast fixtures than 50-over matches at the Banks Homes Riverside, this is a great opportunity for this new professional side to really build a connection with cricket lovers, especially children, in the North East. Silverware is important, of course it is. But there’s somewhat of a bigger picture at play in this summer’s Blast for Durham Cricket.
TEAM NEWS
Somerset Women will be without Heather Knight (hamstring), Dani Gibson (back), Emma Corney (knee), Amelie Munday (knee) and Charlie Dean (international duty).
Lola Harris is included in the squad for the first time following the conclusion of her exams, whilst Academy batter Ruby Davis has also been added.
A starting XI will be named from the following squad:
VIEW FROM THE DRESSING ROOM
Ahead of the fixture, Somerset Head Coach, Trevor Griffin said: “The break has been a good opportunity to refresh, reset and spend some time working on some specific tactical elements. We’re now champing at the bit to get out there, go again and get that first win in the competition.
“We’ve played some really good cricket at times and we’ve been so close to getting a result on a number of occasions without quite being able to get over the line. It’s a game of fine margins and there are just a few things we need to be slightly tighter on. We’ve trained well during the last week and we’re looking forward to this weekend’s games.
“Durham have a number of dangerous players, but we just need to focus on what we do and play the cricket that we know we’re capable of.”
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
If you are planning to attend the match, all the information you need can be found on the official Durham CCC Website.
NEXT MATCH
Somerset are next in action when we take on Hampshire Hawks at Utilita Bowl in the Vitality Blast on Sunday July 6th.
This match is part of a double header which will also see Somerset Men take on their Hampshire counterparts.
Tickets for this match are still available.
