Both Surrey teams return to Vitality Blast action with the Sustainabili-T20 double header against Essex at the Kia Oval
Bryony Smith’s table-topping side kick things off at midday, before Sam Curran’s side play at 4:30pm.
Around the ground, we’ll be showing off what we do to make our venues one of the most sustainable in the country, alongside some interesting activations with our partner, SSE Energy Solutions.
SURREY SQUADS
Bryony Smith’s side are without eight players due to England’s series with India and England A. They are Alice Capsey, Sophia Dunkley, Paige Scholfield and Danni Wyatt-Hodge with England, and Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Emma Jones, Ryana MacDonald-Gay and Alexa Stonehouse with England A.
Adam Zampa is named in his first Surrey squad. Jamie Overton has been released by the England Test squad. Tomorrow’s match is the last game of the group phase that Mitchell Santner is available for. Only two overseas players can be named in the playing eleven.
HOW CAN I KEEP UP WITH THE GAMES?
Both the matches 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, with clips and highlights posted throughout the day. A written report and highlights will be available at the end of the match. The ‘Oval & Out’ podcast will be posted on Surrey’s YouTube channel after the conclusion of the match.
THATCHERS GUESS THE SCORE COMPETITION
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.
ESSEX WOMEN
Previewed by Ben Kosky, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: Grace Scrivens
Overseas players: Maddie Penna (Australia, full competition)
Key winter moves: Seasoned opener and wicketkeeper Lauren Winfield-Hill has moved to Chelmsford on a loan deal from Yorkshire for the duration of the Blast. The arrival of Penna – part of the Adelaide Strikers squad that won successive Women’s Big Bash League titles – will strengthen Essex’s options in the middle-order batting and leg-spin departments.
The big question: How do Essex reshuffle their bowling attack to compensate for Sophie Munro’s absence? The seamer caught the eye during Sunrisers’ T20 campaign last year, finishing as their leading wicket-taker, but is currently out with a back injury. Despite their potent spin line-up, Essex will need alternatives to fill Munro’s role at the back end of the innings.
Wildcard watch: Esmae MacGregor. The 20-year-old can vary her pace and bowled well in the powerplay overs during Essex’s recent T20 County Cup defeat to Yorkshire. Although she featured more prominently in 50-over cricket last season, Munro’s injury could mean that MacGregor finds herself shouldering greater responsibility in the shorter format over the coming weeks.
Final thought: Essex should be capable of posting challenging totals in this tournament. As well as Winfield-Hill and Grace Scrivens at the top of the order, they can expect runs from the likes of Cordelia Griffith, Jodi Grewcock and Sophia Smale – while Jo Gardner, who begins the Blast in impressive form with the bat, could take on the finisher’s role. But they will also need to develop a ruthless streak that has so far been lacking in their 50-over campaign.
ESSEX MEN
Previewed by Martin Smith – ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: Simon Harmer
Overseas players: Simon Harmer (South Africa, full competition), Mohammad Amir (Pakistan, full competition).
Finals Day appearances: Six (2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2019, 2023)
Titles: One (2019)
2024 finish: Fifth (South Group)
2024 highest run-scorer: Michael Pepper (535)
2024 highest wicket-taker: Paul Walter (17)
Key winter moves: With Sam Cook likely to be requisitioned by England for much of the summer, Essex reacted by re-signing Mohammad Amir to replenish their seam-bowling stocks. The experienced Pakistan international left-armer returns after taking 24 wickets across two Blast spells in 2017 and 2019, the latter helping Essex along the road towards their only success in the competition.
The big question: Can Essex shrug off their perennial enigmatic form in T20 cricket? Their entire history in the short format has been littered with fits and starts, false dawns and letdowns. Now, will the new management axis of (coach) Chris Silverwood and (captain) Simon Harmer align to produce something more concrete and significant?
Wildcard watch: Matt Critchley has played in all four iterations of The Hundred – for Welsh Fire (2021-2022) and London Spirit (2023-24) – but was overlooked in the 2025 Draft. The golden-arm all-rounder was Essex’s second-highest wicket-taker in last season’s Blast with 14, evidence that leg-spinners are more than worth their weight in white-ball cricket. What’s more, he’s also an explosive bat.
Final thought: Michael Pepper has established himself as one of the most exciting of big-hitting gunslingers. In a personal 2024 Blast campaign that included two centuries, he peppered the stands and terraces of South Group venues with 32 sixes – seven more than anyone else and that during a season in which Essex failed to qualify for the latter stages. He toured West Indies with England’s white-ball team in the winter; is he ready to step into the first XI at international level?
