Surrey return to Vitality Blast Women’s Finals Day at the Kia Oval and take on The Blaze in the first semi-final of the day.
Bryony Smith’s side will kickstart the Finals Day at home from 11am.
Hampshire Hawks later play Durham at 2.30pm. The winners of each game will play in the final at 6.45pm.
In 2025, Surrey played Warwickshire Bears in the final and made history as they became the first Vitality Blast Women’s Champions.
Success over The Blaze will provide Surrey with the opportunity to lift the trophy for a second year in a row.
HOW CAN I KEEP UP WITH PLAY?
All three games will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. Surrey’s social media team will post live updates and highlights from their game throughout the day.
Highlights and a match report will be uploaded to Surrey’s website at the conclusion of their semi-final and the final, should they qualify.
SQUAD UPDATES
The 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup leading run scorer Danni Wyatt-Hodge returns alongside England teammate Tilly Corteen-Coleman for Friday’s squad.
ECB contracted Alice Capsey and Sophia Dunkley are managing work loads after a busy summer of international cricket that has seen two summer series, a home World Cup and a historic test against India.
LAST TIME OUT
Surrey played The Blaze at Trent Bridge at the beginning of the month, where they emerged victorious with Kalea Moore producing a career best of 5/22.
Charlie Knott set the tone, taking 6/25, four wickets being that of Surrey’s top order and the Three Feathers finished their innings 155/9.
A blistering hot day, Surrey’s total looked below par on a hard deck and fast outfield, but Alice Monaghan settled nerves immediately and struck with the first ball of the innings. The Blaze were 0/1 with Marie Kelly ran out thanks to some sharp fielding.
Ryana MacDonald-Gay struck next after six overs and Laura Harris in another six overs time. The Blaze were 98/3 with seven overs to go and Surrey still required more wickets to stifle the hosts’ chase.
Kalea Moore delivered and her first blow dismissed Tammy Beaumont for 37. Elwiss fell two balls later, both caught at deep square leg by Ryana MacDonald-Gay.
Moore took three extra wickets in the 18th over and The Blaze finished 34-runs short of Surrey’s target.
A career best for Moore and a dominant performance from the Three Feathers, Surrey will be gunning for another win against The Blaze, as this time a home final depends on it.
THE BLAZE
Captain: Kirstie Gordon
Overseas players: Charli Knott (Australia, all)
2025 finish: Semi-finalists
2025 leading run-scorer: Georgia Elwiss (412)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Kathryn Bryce (17)
Key winter moves: The Blaze have signed talented Australia A all-rounder Charli Knott, who brings experience of the Women’s Premier League in India, the Women’s Big Bash and The Hundred, and hit five white-ball half-centuries for Hampshire Women last summer. Meanwhile, Emma Jones, formerly with Surrey, can provide useful runs in the middle order.
The big question: The Blaze, like others, will be depleted because of the clash with the Women’s T20 World Cup. They lose England’s Amy Jones and Nat Sciver-Brunt and Ireland’s Orla Prendergast, although it may be the unavailability of their three Scots, Kathryn and Sarah Bryce and Blaze skipper Kirstie Gordon, that is the most keenly felt. Can those left step up a level?
Wildcard watch: United States international Ella Claridge, whose country missed out on qualification for the T20 World Cup, has a chance to make her presence felt in the Vitality Blast. The 24-year-old wicketkeeper batter will carry some responsibility in the absence of Scotland’s Sarah Bryce and England’s Amy Jones but has proved before that she can rise to the challenge under pressure.
Final thought: Even stripped of six internationals, The Blaze still have the capacity to mount a challenge for silverware. Marie Kelly, a very capable top-order batter and excellent fielder, will captain the side, with experienced England batter Tammy Beaumont as a sounding board as well as a key source of runs. Charley Phillips, Grace Ballinger and Cassidy McCarthy are three top-notch seamers, while former England all-rounder Georgia Elwiss has enjoyed a couple of outstanding seasons with bat and ball.
