Surrey welcome the Blaze in a top-of-the-table clash for what is anticipated to be one of the most thrilling games of the season.
Surrey are on a four-match winning streak, with competitors, The Blaze not far behind them. The two teams will face off this Wednesday under the lights of the Kia Oval in Surrey’s first evening T20 game of the season, where play will begin at 18.30.
Surrey Squad
Surrey’s winning squad remains unchanged heading into the new week.
Thatcher’s guess the score!
Surrey County Cricket Club and Thatchers are giving one 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 will score, or being the closest to it, in a home T20 Vitality Blast match at the Kia Oval.
How can I keep up with play?
The match will be broadcast live on Surrey’s YouTube channel, with a link posted on the Surrey Match Centre and social media channels.
Surrey Cricket’s social media channels will provide live updates from the Kia Oval, with clips and highlights posted throughout the day. A written report and highlights will be available at the end of each day’s play.
Last time out
Surrey are yet to take on The Blaze in the Vitality Blast and both are yet to lose a game.
When Surrey met The Blaze in the Metro Bank Women’s One Day Cup the two teams tied, scoring 346 runs apiece. The Blaze set the target and Surrey’s batting attack was led by Alice Capsey who made a formidable 125 off 96 balls to launch the Three Feathers in the right direction. Alexa Stonehouse coupled efforts with Ryana MacDonald-Gay toward the end of the innings, each making quick scores in the late 20s.
The final blow came from Stonehouse in the last two overs as the Surrey batter attacked Katherine Bryce, taking her for 13-runs off the 49th over including one six over long-on. Nine needed off the last over, Stonehouse found the ropes again, this time along the ground to remove score board pressure, before Dani Gregory saw the Three-Feathers to a tie.
Moving into T20 format, both teams have shown top form in each discipline and there’s no doubt that tomorrow’s match-up will be one for the books.
The Blaze
Previewed by Jon Culley, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: Kirstie Gordon
Overseas players: Maddy Green (New Zealand, first four matches), Heather Graham (Australia, last 10 matches)
Key winter moves: The big change for The Blaze has been off the pitch, where former New Zealand Test batter Craig Cumming takes over as head coach in place of Chris Guest, who guided the Trent Bridge-based team to its first silverware in the Charlotte Edwards Cup T20 competition in 2024. Cumming arrives with a winning pedigree, though, having won two trophies in four years with Otago Sparks.
The big question: After last season’s impressive campaign established The Blaze at the top of the pile in the 20-over format, can anyone knock them off their perch? South East Stars, who ran them closest in 2024, have morphed into Surrey Women, with whom The Blaze shared 692 runs in an incredible 50-over tie at Beckenham earlier this month. There may be little between them over 20 overs too.
Wildcard watch: Charley Phillips – Such is the depth of The Blaze squad, some 15 of their number are already signed up for the 2025 edition of The Hundred. If they are to be joined by another team-mate, it may be Charley Phillips, who arrived from Sunrisers in the close season as a young bowler with pace and has already made a good impression.
Final thought: The Blaze squad contains four current England players but it is their Scottish triumvirate – skipper Kirstie Gordon and the Bryce sisters, Kathryn and Sarah – who are the heart of the team. Gordon was the leading 20-over wicket-taker in 2024, Kathryn Bryce the top runscorer and wicket-keeper Sarah had only one in front of her in the dismissals table. They may hold the keys to success again in 2025.
