Grace Harris’s sparkling 63 from 33 balls led Surrey to a five-wicket win over Birmingham Bears as the Three Feathers became the inaugural Vitality Blast Women’s champions in front of their home fans at the Kia Oval.
The Australian all-rounder was in the zone the moment she came to bat, striking two sixes and seven fours to steer the home side to victory. Fittingly, Southwark-born Kira Chathli, who watched her heroes here as a child, made the winning hit with 20 balls to spare. Amu Surenkumar and Emily Arlott took two wickets apiece for the visitors.
Earlier, the Bears struggled to build partnerships with the player of the match from the semi-final, Issy Wong, top scoring with 31 and Laura Harris, Grace’s sister, a typically ferocious 25 from 11. Phoebe Franklin was the pick of the Surrey attack with 2-16, while two superb runouts helped to further restrict the Bears.
Meg Austin caressed the first ball of the innings for four only for Alexa Stonehouse to bowl her with an in-swinger.
Davina Perrin was dismissed next when Capsey castled her for nought, though Wong brought momentum to the powerplay with four boundaries and a five from an overthrow.
Stonehouse ended her fun with a spectacular leg cutter that kissed the leg stump and Sterre Kalis was run out by a magnificent throw from the deep by Ryana MacDonald-Gay.
Natasha Wraith played nicely for 23 but she and Surenkumar fell in the space of four balls, the latter to a lightning quick stumping by Kira Chathli off Franklin.
Laura Harris went on the offensive, twice clearing the ropes. Three other boundaries took the Australian to 25, but going for another big hit off Dani Gregory she found the hands of Franklin in the deep.
Franklin removed the dangerous Emily Arlott too, but Millie Taylor (20 not out) marshalled the tail, leaving Surrey 154 for the title.
Vitality Blast winners on our home ground! 😎
WHAT A MOMENT!! 🚀
🩵 | #SurreyCricket pic.twitter.com/bcsDrWVGXM
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) July 27, 2025
Surrey’s chase suffered an early setback when Danni Wyatt-Hodge, prolific in the competition, lost the chance to be the leading run-scorer as she holed out in the deep.
Skipper Bryony Smith swept and pulled strongly, but fell to the last ball of the powerplay from Surenkumar and when Wraith whipped off the bails to stump Capsey off Hannah Baker, Surrey were floundering at 42-3.
Three Sophia Dunkley boundaries from Millie Taylor’s opening over raised hopes for the side playing on their home ground and the England international hit Baker back over her head for six in the next.
That was as good as it got for Dunkley who overbalanced trying to hit Surenkumar over the top, Wraith’s fast hands doing the rest.
Grace Harris though took up the baton to play the match-defining innings, driving fours cleanly through cover and mid-off.
Emily Arlott was dispatched to the sightscreen for six and swept for four, but Paige Scholfield perished in the deep trying to imitate the shot.
Harris, though, remained to reach 50 at a strike rate of 200, before clubbing Taylor into the seats at midwicket as Surrey scampered home with the winning runs.
🗣️ "We've had a brilliant competition and we deserved it!"
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) July 27, 2025
Skipper Bryony Smith spoke to Mark Church after lifting the Vitality Blast trophy.
🩵 | #SurreyCricket pic.twitter.com/VFTrioyYuF
