With qualification to the first ever Women’s Vitality Blast Finals Day confirmed, Surrey head out on the road to face Durham in our penultimate group game
Play gets underway at 2:30pm at Chester-le-Street, with the game being broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket and Durham’s YouTube channel.
Surrey Squad
Paige Scholfield returns to the squad after being away on international duty against India over the last month.
How can I keep up with play?
The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports and across Durham’s YouTube and social channels.
Surrey Cricket’s social media channels will provide live updates, with clips and highlights posted throughout the day. A written report and highlights will be available at the end of the match.
Last time out
Surrey have faced Durham twice now, both with a home advantage in the Vitality County Cup and Vitality Blast. Both fixtures left the visitors leaving unsuccessful after two top-flight performance by Surrey.
At the Kia Oval Surrey outclassed the northern side across both formats limiting the Durham batting attack to 141/5 before winning by 9-wickets in which Danni Wyatt-Hodge showcased a game winning 74* (36).
Surrey travel to Durham sitting top the Vitality Blast table with a ten point lead and haven’t lost a game since 1th June.
Durham
Previewed by Graham Hardcastle, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: Hollie Armitage
Overseas player: Suzie Bates (New Zealand, full competition)
Key winter moves: Durham have signed a plethora of eye-catching talent, some young, some experienced. England stars Hollie Armitage, Lauren Filer, Bess Heath and Mady Villiers are chief amongst them. New Zealand batting legend Suzie Bates will be key to their hopes of success. Given the importance of quality spin in T20 cricket, the presence of gun leg-spinner Katie Levick in Durham’s line-up may be most telling.
The big question: It’s been an inconsistent start to the summer for Durham in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, winning three of eight matches. Perhaps that’s understandable given this was a newly assembled squad for 2025. But, a couple of months down the line, can they kick on in the Blast and challenge the competition favourites such as The Blaze and Lancashire Thunder?
Wildcard watch: Grace Thompson. The 17-year-old fast bowler has all the attributes to be a future star for Durham and England. Tall, pacy, accurate and with, seemingly, a good temperament. Think Lauren Bell, and you won’t be a million miles off if you haven’t seen her. Amazing Grace? Quite possibly. If Thompson gets it right in the Blast, she will be hot property.
Final thought: The next couple of months are key for the progression of women’s cricket in Durham. With the likelihood of bigger crowds for Blast fixtures than 50-over matches at the Banks Homes Riverside, this is a great opportunity for this new professional side to really build a connection with cricket lovers, especially children, in the North East. Silverware is important, of course it is. But there’s somewhat of a bigger picture at play in this summer’s Blast for Durham Cricket.
