The Kia Oval will play host to Surrey’s first ever double header this Thursday as Surrey host Hampshire Hawks in their first Blast home of the season.
Star studded squads are expected to put-on first-class performances, whilst activations around the ground will keep everyone entertained during, and in between games.
Bryony Smith will lead her side out at 2pm, with Sam Curren following suit at 6.30pm.
Both matches will be available to watch via Surrey’s live stream, with a link posted on the Surrey Match Centre and Surrey’s social media channels.
A written report and highlights will be published at the end of each match, with regular updates and video clips available on Surrey’s social media channels.
Surrey Women
Tash Farrant and Grace Harris enter the squad this week. Harris arrives fresh from Australia and Farrant returns from injury. Sophia Dunkley, Alice Davidson-Richards and Alice Capsey all remain on England duties and are unavailable. Ryana MacDonald-Gay is having her workload managed during this busy period of T20 cricket.
Surrey Men
Jordan Clark and Mitch Santner are new additions to the squad, Santner joins after the conclusion of the IPL. Dan Lawrence remains unavailable due to injury.
Last chance to enter Xbox Power Players. Follow the button below to find out more.
Hampshire Women
Previewed by Alex Smith, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: Georgia Adams
Overseas players: Charli Knott (Australia, full competition), Ellyse Perry (Australia, last six matches + Finals Day if Hawks qualify)
Key winter moves: The Vipers to Hawks transition saw more outgoings than incomings – with the likes of Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Georgia Elwiss, Emily Windsor, Alice Monaghan and Charlie Dean all departing. With younger players given more chances and responsibility. But one new face looms large – the Australian great Ellyse Perry.
The big question: Will Ellyse Perry get Hawks over the line when she arrives? There is huge excitement about Perry’s signing but her introduction at Chesterfield on July 4, with six matches to go, may well be perfectly timed to get them to Finals Day, but equally Hampshire could be only playing for pride.
Wildcard watch: Mary Taylor. The fast bowler missed the start of the season with a finger injury but her return in the Vitality County Cup saw her take a four for 26 in an innings none of her team-mates went at under 10s and Surrey smashed 237. A bustling and uber-accurate presence with the ball, Taylor is also more than capable of bunting late-innings runs.
Final thought: The likes of Ella McCaughan, Rhianna Southby, and Bex Tyson massively stepped up in the first Metro Bank One-Day Cup block to fill the experience void, and send Hampshire top of the 50-over table. A replication of that, and Maia Bouchier shaking off her Ashes disappointments, put Hawks in a good position to continue the proud record of women’s cricket at Utilita Bowl. Paul Prichard and co. have seamlessly made sure there has been no disruption since Charlotte Edwards’ exit.
Hampshire Men
Previewed by Alex Smith, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: James Vince
Overseas players: Lhuan-dre Pretorius (South Africa, 10 matches from June 13), Dewald Brevis (South Africa, full competition), Bjorn Fortuin (South Africa, first four matches)
Finals Day appearances: 10 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Titles: Three (2010, 2012, 2022)
2024 finish: Seventh (South Group)
2024 leading runscorer: Joe Weatherley (324)
2024 leading wicket taker: John Turner (15)
Key winter moves: The Hawks have completely refreshed their overseas contingent with two of the most exciting young players in the world. Lhuan-dre Pretorius was the top run-scorer in the SA20 over the winter and wunderkind Dewald Brevis. Fast bowler Sonny Baker is also added from last year’s Blast.
The big question: Can James Vince feel at home again? The Hawks skipper is only playing in the Blast for Hampshire this year after moving to Dubai over the winter. He had a rare lean 2024 – understandable after attacks on his family house – but the Blast’s all-time leading run scorer has been tearing up franchise leagues around the world and is ready to return to the UK with his destructive brand of cricket.
Wildcard watch: Dewald Brevis. Has been mentored by South African great AB de Villiers and it shows. He burst onto the scene by breaking the most runs at the 2022 U19 World Cup. He ended that year by smashing 162 in 57 balls – the joint third highest T20 score of all-time. More recently, he won the SA20 with MI Cape Town with the competition’s highest strike-rate. Also bowls very useful leg-spin.
Final thought: Having won the Blast in 2022, before reaching Finals Day the following year, 2024 was underwhelming, filled with a series of overseas not arriving and general under performance. The new Proteas contingent provides an exciting new headline but the core squad, that knows the unique challenges of the expansive Utilita Bowl, is still there. Vince should return fresher without two months of Rothesay County Championship cricket in his legs but with PSL form.
Surrey County Cricket Club and Thatchers are giving two lucky winner the chance to win a case of twenty-four 440ml cans of Thatchers Gold or Thatchers Zero by trying to correctly predicting how many runs Surrey Men’s and Surrey Women’s team will score in their respective match’s, or being the closest to it, in a home T20 Vitality Blast match at the Kia Oval.
