By Grockle
May 27 2026

An undefeated Somerset face a strong Yorkshire this afternoon on a gorgeous weekday in the school holidays and it presently looks like less than 10% of our much publicised 1000 women's cricket members have turned up for this one.  At 2:20 with a 2:30 kickoff I can probably count all the people in the stands .  I can count 60!!  Somerset are unchanged from the side that beat Warwickshire at Birmingham, Yorkshire have made 2 changes in Woolstone and Blackwell.  They have also won the toss and have decided to bat first.

Woman's Blast Game 3 - v Yorkshire @ Taunton Wednesday 27 May 2026

We start on time in glorious sunshine at Taunton as Sophie Luff leads an unchanged side into this contest and after losing the toss will walk out to start with Odgers after losing the toss.

The side therefore sees Erin Vukusic keep her place.  She is accompaned by;

Odgers, Luff (c), Learoyd, Holland, Griffiths, Jones, Hazell, Skelton, Harris, Barnes, Vukusic

Ward bowls the first over and Odgers first shot in anger is a one bounce four to the Gimblett Hill.  They take six off the first over. The second over is bowled by Ines Blackwell and Luff faces her first.  13 after the second and a third from Garton and her last ball sees the Somerset skipper coming up the wicket and putting the ball into the Botham Stand. Sophie is a much more positive bat this year and she has the taste for attacking presently.  They have 35 after 4 and it is another aggressive start from the home side with 4 fours and a six in the first four overs.

Woolston takes the 5th and she gets 3 succesive straight drives both sides of the wicket and the 50 arrives after 5 with Luff on to 27 from 13 with Odgers of 22 off 17 and that is also the first opening 50 partnership of the 2026 Blast.  Blackwell takes the last of the 'Powerplay' and it ends with an Odgers' four and we move to 57 for 0 the best start to a game so far in the 2026 Blast.

Langston is introduced for the 8th and she breaks through as Bex looks to reverse sweep, gets it wrong and leaves LBW for 30 from 25 with 5 fours.  68 for 1 brings Anika Learoyd to the crease.  She is immediately off the mark with a single.

After 10 overs Somerset have moved to 84 for 1 and Luff moves to 50 off 30 then  with the first ball from Ward in the 11th.  7 fours and a six has set the tone of the skipper's view of this game. The Yorkshire bowlers have pulled the game back a little as Ward and Woolston are going for about half of the first opening attack's figures.

It is not the day for Garton though as Somerset take 3 fours in a row off her and she has gone for 40 from her 3 as Somerset pass the 100 and move on to 110. Jonassen at the other end finally gets Yorkshire something as she is stumped by Winfield-Hill going for it again.  She leaves for 57 from 35 balls at 110 for 2 bringing in Niamh Holland.

After a decent 3rd over from Jonassen (17 for 1 after 3), Langston takes over at the MT and looks to tighten the bowling.  Somerset move to 118 for 2 after 14 and with 5 to go we are at 124 for 2 with Ani on 29 from 22 and Niamh on 4 from 9.  They may need to accelerate this, the rate has been dragged back from predictions of 180 plus.  They'll have to go some to get there now.

Learoyd tries to drive Ward at the end of the 17th and though she gets the height she does not get the length and Maddy Ward takes her out with a catch at long on for 35 at 139 for 3 (caught by Kalis).  In comes Alex Griffiths and the predicted 180 odd will probably end up to be not far over 150 as we hit 146 with 2 overs to go.  The scoring rate has been drastically pulled back.  However, the Somerset 150 arrives from the first ball of the 19th from Holland.  Jess Jonassen has bowled well but Naimh gets hold of the next ball and hits the bext boundary of the innings.  She then nails the next one to follow it up and we move to 160.  Unfortunately Griffiths hesitates more than once and while Holland goes for the run, Alex doesn't and she is run out by Blackwell for 4 - she was hesitant all the way through her time in the middle and leaves at 162 for 4.  Chloe Skelton comes out for the last one and helps Niamh push the score along very well.  Somerset move to 173 for 4 before Skelton does not make it for a second in the 4th ball.  she is run out for 3 but gets Holland back on strike with Jones.  Holland finishes with 41 off 27 with 5 fours.  Somerset finish on 177 for 5.

Their highest T20 total of the season.  Yorkshire need 178. 

The Reply

Winfield-Hill and Thomas come out for the visitors to face Alex Griffiths from the River and she takes out Thomas with her sixth delivery without her scoring 1 for 0 as Skelton takes the second over.  Winfield-Hill and Jonassen have to score runs and Kalis also needs to contribute if Yorkshire are to stay in this game.  An excellent double team flick back save of a four from Holland shows the development of the home side int he field.  That would not have happened last season.

Olivia Barnes is introduced early with the 4th over with Yorkshire on 22 for 1 Jonassen greets her with a driven boundary.  They set up Winfield-Hill and she takes the bait flipping the ball legside into the grateful hands of Bex Odgers placed for the catch.  Yorkshire go to 29 for 2 in the 4th and in comes Kalis as Winfield-Hill leaves with 11 to her name.

On comes Vukusic from the River and bowls Jonassen first ball with a full length one that came back on a bat looking to drive her. 29 for 3. Sterre Kalis shows she is a very talented bat though as she takes on the Somerset bowling attack with confidence and movEs to 10 with some excellent shots.  She is in with Campbell looking to reset the reply after the loss of the three wickets.  The pair move to the end of the 'Powerplay' at 44 for 3 with Kalis on 11 from 10 and Campbell with 4 from 3.  On comes Holland to ask the next set of questions.  However an appalling misfield on the Hildreth Boundary lets a four arrive bringing up 50.  Kalis is looking dangerous as she then drives a second four in the over.

Harris is introduced for the 8th followed by Barnes for the 9th and she gets Campbell caught in the deep in front of the CA for 6 by Griffiths at long on.  That takes Yorkshire to 63 for 4 with Kalis on 28 as Gabby Ward joins her.

Vukusic is back on for the 10th having changed ends.  The halfway situation is 71 for 4 with Kalis on 33 from 26 and Ward on 3 from 5 and the run rate has risen to 10.7 an over as Chloe Skelton takes over at the River end and unfortunately Olivia Barnes is asked a lot in the field and does not give the right answers on more than 1 ball as Yorkshire moves into the 80s and Kalis moves to 41.  We are leaking runs through the same position.

Griffiths is on at the MT for the 12th and the 100 arrives as Kalis moves to 49, taking this game on almost on her own.  The question is who will put the 'press' in to push the pressure back on Yorkshire.  The rate has moved below 10.  Kalis moves to 50 off 33 with 9 fours.  104 for 4 as Someset look to Liv Barnes to tighten this run chase and she delivers getting Kalis looking to sweep but getting to the ball late and just flipping it to Jess Hazell at Point.  She goes for 51 at 104 for 5 as Langston joins Ward on 18 from 13.  Barnes has 3 for 15 and has done exactly what hwer side wanted her to do.

Lola Harris bowls her second and she sends a slow ball to Ward that is so slow that Ward has too long to decide to sweep it, misses it and she is bowled for 22 at 110 for 6.  Blackwel comes in and she is bowled as well as she misreads the one that goes straight on.  Rhia Fackrell comes in for the hat-trick ball and sees it out and they see out the 14th at 110 for 7.

Holland takes the 15th and they move to 114 for 7 as the RRR goes up to 12.8.  Harris gets Fackrell to hit one out that Griffiths makes 40 yards to just get her fingers to it.  A really good attempt.  It matters not though as Harris fools Fackrell next ball and she is bowled for 3 at 116 for 8.

Liv Barnes bowls out with the 17th.  The RRR is over 16 and the visitors still need 60 from 3 and a half as Garton comes in to pair with Langston.  Barnes finishes with 19 for 3  and her partner Lola will bowl out at 3 for 12 presently.   She completes her 4 with 3 for 17.  Two match winning superb spells fromt he Somerset spinners just when they were needed.

With 12 balls to go the runs required is 53 as Vukusic comes in for the penultimate over.  Holland misses a sitter as Garton drives straight to her.  She is very disappointed but it is OK because Erin clean bowls her next ball  for 8 at 129 for 9.  Woolston comes out for the last over with 48 required.  Holland bowls the last one and she nearly has Langston first ball, leg bye possibly going down.  Beth Langston then ramps over long on for four.   After nearly being stumped Garston takes a single to go toe 138 for 9 and Somerset win by 39 and remained undefeated in the Blast this season. 

Women's Blast 3 - Home again against Yorkshire

Discussion started by Grockles.com , 27/05/2026 14:42

Grockles.com
27/05/2026 14:42

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026:05:29:10:51:33 by Grockle.

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Grockle
26/05/2026 21:22

The women come home undfeated in the T20. They face Yorkshire at home for the first solo game of the season.

The side will be picked from the 15 players squad which still does not include Heather Knight, Dani Gibson, Charlie Dean, Emma Corney or Mollie Robbins

The squad is;
Odgers, Luff (c), Learoyd, Griffiths, Jones, Davis, Hazell, Holland, Skelton, Harris, Vukusic, Barnes. Willis, Anderson

The website Match Preview is here;
Yorkshire Match Preview





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026:05:26:21:23:54 by Grockle.

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Grockle
27/05/2026 14:04

Yorkshire have won the toss and chosen to field first.

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