Domestic T20 cricket kicks off tomorrow at The Kia Oval with a Double-Header featuring South East Stars and Surrey!
South East Stars host the Southern Vipers in the Charlotte Edwards Cup from 1:30pm before Surrey and Somerset do battle in the Vitality Blast at 6pm.
Both visiting sides are reigning T20 champions. Southern Vipers won the 2023 Charlotte Edwards Cup before sealing the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy later in the year. Somerset won their second Vitality Blast crown when they defeated Essex at Finals Day. Surrey will be looking to inflint revenge on Somerset after the eventual winners knocked the Three Feathers out in the semi-finals at Edgbaston.
Match-day information can be found here.
Tickets for the Double-Header can still be purchased here. Both matches will be available to watch on the Live Broadcast.
Surrey and South East Stars’ social media channels will keep you up to date with proceedings in SE11. A report and highlights will be published at the end of each game.
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SQUADS
Alice Davidson-Richards returns to the Stars’ 14-strong squad.
Surrey have named an unchanged squad for their first home fixture of the season.
SOUTHERN VIPERS
Captain: Georgia Adams
Head Coach: Charlotte Edwards
2023 finish: Winners
2023 highest run-scorer: Danni Wyatt (273)
2023 highest wicket-taker: Anya Shrubsole & Linsey Smith (13)
The big question: Will it be a three-peat? Vipers have won the past two editions of the Charlotte Edwards Cup, and have only lost two matches in that period. When everyone is available the line-up looks formidable.
Player to watch: Georgia Adams is simply the best regional player never to have played for England. She glistens after taking home the PCA’s overall MVP plus, the individual CEC and RHFT awards last season. Expects more runs, more wickets, and incredible captaincy.
Young gun: Charli Knott has settled in at Vipers like a homegrown player. The Australian has mixed heavy scoring with the bat with pressure-building off-spin in the RHFT, and the 21-year-old has serious T20 pedigree having been named the Young Gun at last winter’s WBBL.
Final thought: ‘Little Lottie’ has found a nice home on the south coast and ‘Lottie’ does not want to relinquish her. Six England call-ups will throttle the first couple of matches but once Vipers are at full strength they have a line-up that could mix it at international level. Anya Shrubsole’s retirement does leave a bowling hole, but winter recruit Freya Davies should fill that.
SOMERSET
Captain: Lewis Gregory
Overseas players: Riley Meredith (Australia)
Finals Day appearances: Nine (2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Titles: Two (2005, 2023)
2023 finish: Champions
2023 leading run-scorer: Will Smeed (523)
2023 leading wicket-taker: Matt Henry (31)
Key winter moves: Australia quick Riley Meredith has been signed to replace Matt Henry, who played such a big part in lifting the trophy last season. Roelof van der Merwe is back on a white-ball contract having not been named in the Netherlands squad for the World Cup.
The big question: Can Tom Kohler-Cadmore return from a disappointing Indian Premier League campaign with Rajasthan Royals in confident enough mood to repeat the outstanding success of his first season at Somerset, which saw him average almost 35 in scoring 489 Vitality Blast runs?
Wildcard watch: Ben Green’s innocuous looking medium-paced bowling brought him 30 Blast wickets last summer, many of them to catches as opponents looked to increase their run-rate. That was only one less than leading wicket-taker Matt Henry and the 26-year-old Devonian all-rounder will go into this season’s competition high on self-belief.
Final thought: As champions, Somerset will be the team everyone is gunning for this summer. But they boast a formidable batting line-up to cash in on their true home pitches and can again count on fantastic support and a vibrant atmosphere at the Cooper Associates County Ground, which has become an intimidating venue for visiting sides.
