By Grockle
May 31 2026

From one Test match venue to another, Somerset head south to play the "Big Girls" in Surrey at their home - the Kia Oval.  The weather has calmed a little but it will still be a fiery contest against a strong opponent.  The side stays the still with no place for Ellie Anderson.  Sophie Luff won the toss and elected to bowls first and we got underway at 12 noon (which puts me about 30 minutes behind - thought it was a 12:30 start)

Women's Blast Game 5 - v Surrey @ The Oval Sunday 31 May 2026

Somerset won the toss and elcted to bowl first as they go into this game with one change to the side as Ruby Davis replaces Jess Hazell in a lineup of;

Odgers, Luff (c), Learoyd, Holland, Davis (wk), Griffiths, Davis, Skelton, Barnes, Harris, Vukusic

We start at 12 noon in cooler more overcast conditions (probably hence the decision to bowl) though it loooks warm out there.  Kira Chathli and Brioney Smith will open for the unbeaten Surrey side - think they also tied with Hampshire. Griffiths will open for the visitiing West Country side - a tight start only goes for 1.  Chloe Skelton takes the second and the first boundary comes to Chathli as the score moves to 6 after 2.  

An early series of misfields is a worrying aspect once more as a single becomes four in Griffith's second (the third)  you can't give Surrey 'absolute gifts' as another harder stop which Lola Harris does not manage and we gift Surrey 9 runs in 2 overs.  Olivia Barnes improves moral as she catches Chathli shuffling across her stumps and missing a straight in front with her first ball in the fourth.  18 for 1 with Paige Schofield arriving as Chathli leaves for 10 from 8.  Barnes nearly has her stumped first ball with a pearler but she stays in her crease.

Schofield gets off to a bit of a start with 10 from 10 in Skelton's next and they finish the 5th at 28 for 1 with Barnes  finishing off the 'Powerplay' and she strikes again with the third ball as Smith looks to cut but just edges into Jones' gloves at it is 33 for 2 with Liv on 2 for 6 with 9 excellent balls in her spell.  Alice Davidson- Richards is the next in and the new pair push the score to 34 for 2 at the end of the 6 overs.

Erin Vukusic is introduced for the 7th but her first is a free hit no ball and a solid over slightly spoiled by 1 boundary takes the score to 44 for 2 as we take the pace off again with the introducion of Lola Harris in the 8th where Schofield takes 2 from another misfield, this time from Sophie Luff to bring up the 50 and finish the 8th with 52 for 2 with Davidson-Richards on 5 from 8 and Schofield ticking along at 28 from 20.  

Somerset continue the changes with Niamh Holland getting her first with the 9th and she starts with a booming swinger to bowl Schofield for 28 from 21 taking out her leg stump as the ball jinks in and surprises the Surrey bowler.  52 for 3 welcomes Laura Harris the big bat to the crease and 4 wides takes the score to 59 for 3.

We continue towards the halfway stage with the 3rd over from Barnes Harris looks to reverse the slow ball but she gets it wrong and it smacks into her pad in front.  It pitches on leg and spins across the bat hitting her pad.  The umpire gives the LBW and the homes side's big hitter is gone for 1 at 60 for 4 as Jemima Spence replaces her team mate.  Liv now has 3 for 8 halway through her 3rd and they are struggling to get her away.  She goes for 3 and ends with 3 for 10 as Surrey move to 62 for 3

Erin is given the 11th and she only goes for 3 so the score moves to 65 for 7 - excellent bowling from the Croatian international. Harris takes the 12th and goes for 9.  Holland is back for the 13th and with 2 wides, she only goes for 5.  78 for 4 after 13 overs.

Skelton replaces Harris and the home side move it on to 83 for 4 after run a ball 3rd over from Chloe.  Somerset keep the Surrey bats on the hop as Vukusic takes the 15th but 2 consecutive boundaries from Davidson-Richards including a pretty regulation drop from Alex G which passes through her hands and then goes for four breaks the hold the visitors have on the batting pair.  With 5 overs to go, Surrey have moved to 93 for 4.  Harris takes the next (let Liv Barnes bowl out while on a roll?) and Davidson-Richards hits another to the boundary.  Surrey move past 100 with a single and on to 101 with 4 to go.

Holland returns and sees her first in the 17th go to the boundary from Spence.  However, despite another wide, Niamh breaks the partnership with her last ball as she catches Davidson-Richards going across her stumps and missing a straight one so she goes LBW for 24 off 33 at 109 for 5.  Holland has 2 for 20 after 3.

The new bat to face the fourth from Liv Barnes is Alice Monaghan, she comes on strike for the second and is off the mark immedaitely with a single.  She takes 2 consecutive fours from the last two balls of Liv's spell but it does not detract from the excellent four over figures of 3 for 21.  Surrey are at 120 for 5 with 12 balls to go.  Skelton bowls her last as the penultimate and we see some better, excellent fielding from Vukusic on the boundary as the Surrey pair start to open the shoulders.  Monaghan has hit 12 from 4 and Spence has 39 from 29 with 8 balls to go.  They also lose four runs for a no ball with too many outsisde the circle - a loss of focus as the free hit goes for 6 off Spence.  That was a BIG mistake which may have changed the game as Surrey score 30 runs from 10 legal deliveries.  Chloe Skelton finishes with 0 for 40 as they go into the last at 141 for 5.  That has altered the nature of the changeover - 4 overs ago Surrey were struggling.  Now?  It's moving to a par score if not better.

Vukusic takes the last and Monaghan sends the first to the rope to go to 17 off 6.  Later in the over a slapped straight four takes Spence to 50 from 34 deliveries - her first professional T20 half ton.  It takes Surrey to 152 for 5 and the last ball is a single taking the total to 153 for 5 with Monaghan on a vital 20 from 7. 

Somerset go from being in control to having a difficult total to make after losing focus in the last 5 overs and letting Surrey get away.  They will need 154 to win.  Maybe 20 more than they ought to have let the home side get.

The Reply

A big start from Bex Odgers and Sophie Luff in the 'Powerplay' is vital if Somerset are to get back on track in this game.  They face Kalia Moore's spin first and they take 10 off the first with Odgers taking 9 of them - a good start.    At the other end they face Ryana Macdonald-Gay at the other end off a very good game in the midweek last week.  Odgers continues to take the bowlers on as they move to 19 (Odgers 17) off 2.  

Monaghan takes the third as Luff starts to come to the party taking 2 consecutive fours off the new bowler.  However the 'party' ends as Odgers goes after a wide one and is caught behind for 17 off 10 at 28 for 1.  in comes Anika Learoyd who will need to take the ball on and stay in for the Somerset momentum. But Bethan Miles has other ideas and Ani comes up the pitch but misreads the line and hits the ball straight to Macdonald-Gay for 1 at 29 for 2.

In comes Niamh Holland who sweeps her first ball for four to keep the RRR high.  Monaghan takes the next and take out Holland with her third ball of it as Niamh loses her off stump to one that simply goes past the Somerset bat's push forward.  She goes for 8 from 6 at 39 for 3 and out comes Katie Jones as Surrey keep chipping away at them. Monaghan moves to 2 for 11 from her 2.  After the 5th from a new bowler  Danni Gregory Somerset have moved to 50 for 3 with 2 boundaries one from each of the pair, the second from the captain - the important member of this order now if Somerset are to make a cliam for the point in this game.

The 'Powerplay' ends on that score of 50 for 3 as Macdonald-Gay returns.  With Luff on 16 from 12 and Jones on a runa ball 5.  The pair have reached 59 by the start of the 9th - progress is slow but it IS progress.  However it ends in the 9th as a wide full toss down the leg side from Miles is slapped straight to short fine leg and Danni Gregory takes the catch and we fall to 59 for 4 and Jones leaves for 10 from 16 bringing Alex Griffiths to the crease at 59 for 4.  Miles got away with a melon there!!

The Somnerset bats take the game to the end of the 10th with Luff still there on 29 from 22 and Griffiths simply supporting (maybe she needs to do more or we will fall short) with 3 from 3.  The score has moved to 72 for 4 and we need another 82 from the next 60 balls. 

 The bowling is tight and the pitch is unforgiving as it take another 3 overs for the visitors to move to 100 at the end of the 13th.  Griffiths has yet to really get started though the skipper has moved past another 50 with a 4 at the end of the 12th via a very good sweep off Moore.  The half ton came off 30 balls at 92 for 4.

With seven overs left we are starting to see the effect of that last spell from the Surrey bats and without something along the same lines we will find ourselves wanting in this one and being pushed by the scoreboard to take more and more risks as the RRR rises.

Monaghan makes the job harder as another bat walks across the line of the ball and misses a straight one.  This time Griffiths is LBW from the first ball of the 14th and we are 100 for 5 as the all rounder goes for 8 from 10 and the Somerset job gets harder.  Skelton arrives in the middle as Alice Monaghan celebrates her third wicket for 11 runs.

After 15 overs the score has moved to 112 for 5 with the new bat on 3 from 6 and her captain moving on to 58 from 38.  The rate of scoring is not quick enough and they are left needing 42 from 30 balls.  Not impossible but on this pitch it is definitely not going to be easy.

Miles finishes with the 16th over, The score has moved on by 10, she ends with figures of 2 for 30 and the important Sophie Luff has progressed to 64 from 43.  Monaghan finally gets out of our hair with the 17th finisheing with 3 for 24 from her 4 and the score has moved to 130 for 5 - we need 24 from 18 with 5 wickets in hand.  Skelton has moved to 7 from 11 (we need a bit more Chloe) while Luff keeps moving and is now on 69 from 46.

The next to bowl out is Moore in the 18th and Somerset continue to move on to 139 as Chloe moves to 10 from 14 while Luffy is at 75 from 49.  We need 15 from 12 and Surrey turn to Macdonald-Gay to change the game in the 19th. Skelton takes a single to get the 'gun' on strike but Luff can only get a single as well.  A dot puts the pressure back on.  13 from 9.  Skelton slaps the ball to cover and into the hands of Smith.  She goes for 11 from 16 at 141 for 6 with Luff on 75 from 56.

Davis come in with Luff on strike and she calmly drives the ball over the infield to go to 80 and take the ask to a run a ball.  She then takes the single to be on strike at the start of the last over from Gregory at 148 for 6 needing 6 from 6.  She takes a single from the first to put Ruby Davis on strike.  On zero, she ramps for FOUR to tie the scores and then as if it is a walk in the park, takes the single to win it for her county.  She ends on 5 from 2 with the magnificent Sophie Luff at the other end with a match defining 82 from 53 and we end Surrey's undefeated run, get ourselves back into winning ways and come out on top in an excellent game of cricket.  Lots of guts and calmness won that one which Somerset take by 4 wickets.

Well done people.  That was really satisfying.

Women's Blast Game 5 - Oval World on A Sunday

Discussion started by Grockles.com , 31/05/2026 12:41

Grockles.com
31/05/2026 12:41

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026:06:02:10:26:47 by Grockle.

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Bobstan
31/05/2026 14:51

Always nice to beat Surrey. Well done, women of Somerset.

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Grockle
31/05/2026 14:53

What a satisfying game of cricket that was. To go to the top sides gaff and out think and play them to win by 4 wickets.

Sophie Luff is moving to another level in her cricket. That was a superb innings in the mode of Tom Abell where the game is simply not won until you get her out. 82 from 53 in a score of 154 for 6 with 3 balls left in the game.

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Bagpuss
31/05/2026 14:59

Surrey's first defeat in the Blast this season, and it takes Somerset to second in the table for now, on the same number of points as Surrey, but they have a better NRR, and these two teams have played one more match than the rest.

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