HOOK’S SHOT: The county’s women’s side are guaranteed a place in the T20 finals at The Oval next week, with the men’s side closing in on a place. Here, MARCUS HOOK interviews the players, including Laura Harris and Jason Roy, about their latest, impressive batting achievements
Things are hotting up for Surrey in the T20 competitions. While the men, as in the County Championship, have failed to establish any momentum, the women are through to T20 finals day at The Oval next Friday.
All-round talent: Surrey’s Alice Monaghan
Surrey, the defending T20 women’s champions, will be joined in the last four on July 17 by Durham, Hampshire and either Nottingham’s “The Blaze” or Somerset, who are playing today.
The concluding round of group matches on Sunday see Surrey entertain Hampshire in what many are billing a rehearsal ahead of the final.
The combination of Maia Bouchier with the bat and all-rounder Georgia Adams (daughter of Surrey’s former director of cricket, Chris) have given Hampshire an air of near invincibility in this season’s T20 Blast.
When the sides met at Southampton in May the game ended in a tie, thanks to Surrey all-rounder Alice Monaghan holding her nerve to successfully defend six off the final over in a low-scoring thriller.
“The pitch wasn’t great,” says Surrey skipper Bryony Smith. “But I thought we were excellent. Not many teams could have defended a total of 121.
“We speak a lot about having pressure moments. If we are being really critical, we should have won that game.”
Since then Surrey, who are currently second (out of nine) in the points table, have gone on a run that included three victories in four over Essex, Somerset and The Blaze.
Against Somerset, Smith’s nerveless 63 off 51 balls was key. Chasing 149, Surrey got home with just four balls to spare.
Calling the shots: Surrey skipper Bryony Smith
“It was pretty difficult against the spinners on a pitch that was a bit slow,” Smith says.
“Our spinners have been brilliant all year and I know exactly what I’m going to get from them.
“Sophie Luff batted really well and Somerset had a good powerplay, but I was delighted with the way we got ourselves back into the game.
“To concede fewer than a hundred runs off the last 14 overs was pretty decent. That was definitely an important win for us.”
Off-spinner Kalea Moore starred again when Surrey followed it up with a 34-run success over The Blaze at Nottingham.
Moore enjoyed career-best figures of 5-22 as The Blaze fizzled out from 98-2 to 121 all out, though not before Phoebe Franklin (46 off 30 balls) and Alice Monaghan (35 off 27) had rescued Surrey from 45-4.
In a spin: Kalea Moore took career-best bowling figures to help Surrey win at Nottingham
“Alice and Phoebe put together a great partnership,” says Moore. “The fact that we managed to get to 150-odd, we did really well.
“It was a slow pitch and it was getting lower. With the ball, we just stuck to our lines.
“The Blaze got away in the powerplay, but I think we brought it back really well. We used the conditions to our advantage, and with the short boundary, we knew they were going to take that on – so it was a case of bowling into the wicket and holding on to our catches, which we did.”
Boomer Harris: the Aussie batter Laura Harris has now twice hit a T20 50 off just 15 balls
Skipper Smith admits Surrey need to up their game in the powerplays if they are going to successfully defend their T20 crown. “Across the competition we haven’t been at our best in the powerplays,” she says. “At times we have been guilty of bowling both sides of the wicket and getting hit all around the park.”
The batting, however, appears to be in excellent order with Monaghan (who is averaging 39.00), Alice Davidson-Richards (38.60), 20-year-old Jemima Spence (37.12) and Franklin (31.66) all having made telling middle-order contributions. And Laura Harris made a scintillating 81 off 32 balls in this week’s trouncing of Warwickshire.
In the process, Australian Harris equalled her own world record with the fastest 50 in Women’s T20 history – 15 deliveries, including four sixes and six fours.
“When I get into game time I lose count of the number of balls, it’s just about scoring runs,” Harris said. “If they come out clean like they did today, it’s great.
“I’m someone who always tries to go from ball one to be fair. A half-volley is the same first ball as it is the 10th to me.”
Surrey’s men (six wins and four losses with two group fixtures to come: tonight at Canterbury and Sunday, v Essex, at The Oval), this summer’s Vitality Blast has been something of a stop-start affair. International calls have robbed Surrey of Gus Atkinson, Sam Curran, Will Jacks and Jamie Smith.
Nevertheless, they will almost certainly qualify for the quarter-finals on July 15, even if it’s as one of the best two third-placed teams.
Neither Jamie Overton (thigh) and Dan Worrall (calf) have been able to feature in this year’s Blast due to injury, leaving the attack somewhat blunted and Surrey depending on Jason Roy and the batters to clear the ropes.
Old Whitgiftian Roy, 35, showed his enduring class by hitting his fifth T20 century for Surrey this week, as his side eased to an eight-wicket win over Sussex.
‘Pretty special’: Jason Roy hit his fifth T20 century for Surrey this week
Chasing 177, Roy and Josh Philippe broke the back of the chase with a second-wicket stand of 78 before Roy and Dan Lawrence reached the finishing line with 16 deliveries to spare.
“There’s no real reason, but I’m feeling quite emotional – it’s been a while since my last T20 hundred,” said Roy (103 not out from 58 deliveries, including eight sixes).
“So to come out here in front of a packed house and help get us over the line was pretty good. I might not sleep much tonight, but I’m sure when I wake up tomorrow it’ll feel special.
“For an opening batsman in any format of the game, it’s great to hit the winning runs. We’re in a strong position even though we haven’t quite hit our straps, which is pretty exciting.”
Recent cricket columns from Marcus Hook:
- Blind man enjoys wonders of cricket comradeship at The Oval
- Sorry Surrey look in need of a Blast of new energy at The Oval
- What the Foakes! Surrey keeper ruled out after bowling injury
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
PAID ADS: To advertise your services or products to our 10,000 weekday visitors to the site, as featured on Google News Showcase, email us inside.croydon@btinternet.com for our unbeatable ad rates
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
As featured on Google News Showcase
- Our comments section on every report provides all readers with an immediate “right of reply” on all our content. Our comments policy can be read by clicking here
ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: In January 2026, Croydon was named among the country’s rottenest boroughs for an EIGHTH time in nine years, in Private Eye magazine’s annual round-up of civic cock-ups
- Inside Croydon is a member of the Independent Community News Network
