Sam Curran’s side look to ride the derby win momentum as Bryony Smith’s side seek a response in Friday’s Pride Match double header
Bryony Smith’s side, who sit top of the group, will play Essex from 2pm, as the side look for a win after last Friday’s tie with Hampshire and Sunday’s defeat to Somerset. Surrey men, who sit second in the South Group, then face table-toppers Hampshire Hawks from 6:30pm.
Sam Curran’s side fell short to the Hawks last week and but have returned to form during their eight-wicket win over Middlesex on Wednesday night.
HOW CAN I KEEP UP WITH PLAY?
Tickets for the double header are still available to purchase here. Both matches will be broadcast live on Surrey’s YouTube channel. Surrey’s social media channels will provide regular updates and video clips throughout. Highlights, a written match report and the Oval and Out podcast will be available at the end of each match.
SURREY SQUADS
Both squads are unchanged from their last matches.
ESSEX WOMEN
Captain: Grace Scrivens
Overseas players: None
2025 finish: 7th
2025 leading run-scorer: Lauren Winfield-Hill (334)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Esmae MacGregor (21)
Key winter moves: Batter Liberty Heap, signed from Lancashire, is yet to feature for Essex – and the bigger issue as arguably who they’ve lost, rather than gained, since the 2025 Blast campaign. Lauren Winfield-Hill, back at Yorkshire after last season’s loan spell, was Essex’s leading run-scorer with Australian all-rounder Maddie Penna, now lining up for Lancashire, a close second.
The big question: It’s not only how Essex replace Winfield-Hill and Penna, but how they go about putting runs on the board collectively. The team only posted two totals above 160 last year, one in a dead rubber against Durham, and the likes of Cordelia Griffith, Grace Scrivens and recent England ODI cap Jodi Grewcock need to find ways of improving that.
Wildcard watch: Flo Miller has begun the 50-over tournament in good form, hitting unbeaten half-centuries against Somerset and Surrey and her strike rate of almost 96 is the best among Essex’s recognised batters. The 22-year-old could really come into her own as a T20 finisher – provided the top order give her a solid foundations to work with.
Final thought: Essex may miss Abtaha Maqsood’s wicket-taking skills in the post-powerplay overs while the leg-spinner is on World Cup duty with Scotland, but they possess a good stock of seamers who can do some damage. Esmae MacGregor’s return of 21 wickets was the second-best in last year’s Blast while Eva Gray, Sophie Munro and Kate Coppack should all help to make Essex more competitive, as long as they have something substantial to bowl at.
HAMPSHIRE HAWKS MEN
Previewed by Alex Smith, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: James Vince
Overseas players: Delano Potgieter (South Africa, until Tristan Stubbs arrives), Tristan Stubbs (South Africa, after IPL), Hilton Cartwright (Australia, all)
Finals Day appearances: 11 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025)
Titles: Three (2010, 2012, 2022)
2025 finish: Runners-up
2025 leading run-scorer: Toby Albert (633)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Scott Currie (27)
Key winter moves: Russell Domingo has replaced Adi Birrell in the head coach’s corner, while Benny Howell has departed to Notts Outlaws and semi-final hero Chris Lynn to Northamptonshire Steelbacks. South African middle-order blaster Tristan Stubbs will arrive once his IPL stint is done, likely after two matches, while Hilton Cartwright returns after a brief stint in 2025.
The big question: Can the Vitality Blast revitalise Hampshire’s season? The opening six matches in the Rothesay County Championship have been an unmitigated nightmare for the county. But in T20 cricket, the Hawks are a well-oiled machine, and the Blast’s arrival could jolt everything back into gear and rebuild the confidence of those who need a pick-me-up.
Wildcard watch: Toby Albert. Last year’s Vitality Blast top scorer was surprisingly overlooked at the Hundred Auction. Moved up to open, Albert piled on the runs with six half-centuries and was a key cog in the Hawks reaching the final. If he continues with his ramps, flicks, general power and tidy wicketkeeping, he will be a frontrunner for a Wildcard.
Final thought: Losing last year’s final hurt, but Hampshire haven’t been successful in the Blast by licking their wounds. They will be gunning for revenge and to become the first four-time champions. The squad, as ever, looks finely balanced. You know exactly what you are getting from James Vince, Chris Wood and Liam Dawson and the overseas players have good experience. The likes of Joe Weatherley, Scott Currie and Toby Albert know their roles, while Ben Mayes and Manny Lumsden are raw and ready if called upon.
