Surrey's Tash Farrant played 18 T20 games for England from 2013 to 2021 Tash Farrant and Grace Harris took three wickets each as Surrey moved back to the top of the women's T20 Blast group table with a five-wicket win over Essex. The home side were going well at Chelmsford as Grace Scrivens (39) and Lauren Winfield Hill (36) shared an opening stand of 75, but they lost momentum as Farrant and Harris worked their way through the order and finished on 148-7. Surrey slumped from 67-2 to 85-3 in reply, but Kira Chathli made 40 from 34 balls and a boundary by Alice Davidson-Richards saw them to 150-5 with nine balls left. Elsewhere, the third-placed Bears defeated Hampshire by 13 runs and Durham saw off winless Somerset by four wickets at Taunton. Match scorecards Essex went into the game againstSurreyhaving lost their previous two, but Scrivens and Winfield-Hill gave home followers cause for optimism with 13 boundaries between them before the former was caught at cover off Dani Gregory. Winfield-Hill - who was dropped on seven - followed in the next over when she tried to sweep Harris and top-edged to fine leg, but it was a spell by Farrant that sent the innings into decline. She bowled Lissy MacLeod behind her legs with a looping yorker and had Cordelia Griffith caught at deep mid-wicket next ball. Farrant thought she had a hat-trick as she appealed for leg before against Jo Gardner, but the umpire had spotted a thin edge. However, the left-armer (3-20) had Maddie Penna caught in the deep in her next over. Harris rounded off the innings by taking return catches offered by Gardner and Eve Gray - and there were two wickets in an over for Esmae McGregor as Bryony Smith and Alice Capsey fell to successive balls to leave Surrey 31-2 in their chase. There was further encouragement for Essex when Danni Wyatt-Hodge (21) hit Aftaba Maqsood to mid-off, but Chathli and Harris (31) added 40 in three overs and even though both departed as McGregor returned 3-33, Davidson-Richards and Phoebe Franklin finished the job. "We weren't at our best on Wednesday [against the Blaze], but these games come thick and fast. It's important to get back to winning ways as quickly as possible," Farrant said afterwards. After losing Amelie Munday to the third ball of the game at Taunton, Bex Odgers (36) and Niamh Holland (31) gave Somerset hope of a decent total againstDurhamwith a second-wicket stand of 58 - both of them hitting a six off England's Lauren Filer, Holland's an audacious ramp shot in the fifth over. Wickets, though, fell at regular intervals after Holland was caught at long-on off Mady Villiers (2-23) and they were indebted to Amanda-Jane Wellington for a cameo of 31 off 17 balls before she was run out from the final ball of the innings as they posted 138-7. Durham made a positive start in reply led by Suzi Bates, who eventually fell to Mollie Robbins (3-22) one short of a half century - caught at extra cover - but Bess Heath's unbeaten 38 off 25 balls saw them home on 139-6 with 11 to spare, only their second victory in seven matches. Meg Austin's half-century was her first in the competition for the Bears At Edgbaston, theBearswere propelled to a score of 178-7 by 19-year-old Meg Austin's 51 off 38 balls, including seven fours. She put on 70 for the first wicket with Davina Perrin (30) before holing out at long-on, the first of three wickets in four balls for Daisy Gibb, who had only taken two in five previous appearances. Sterre Kalis hit a glorious straight six in her 35 from 21 balls to keep the runs coming and Natasha Wraith pushed the score on in the closing overs with an unbeaten 38 off 24. Hampshire,missing the injured Ella McCaughan, scorer of a match-winning century against Essex last Thursday,lost Charli Knott and Maia Bouchier early in their reply and a stand of 46 between Georgia Adams (32 off 31) and Rhianna Southby (29) was not enough to keep them up with the required rate. They could only muster 165-7, with wicketkeeper Wraith claiming two stumpings and a catch. Utilita Bowl: Hampshire Hawks v Surrey Play starts 15:00 BST
Surrey back on top, wins for Bears & Durham
TruthLens AI Suggested Headline:
"Surrey Reclaims Top Spot in Women's T20 Blast with Win Over Essex"
Bbc News
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TruthLens AI Summary
Surrey has reclaimed the top position in the women's T20 Blast group table following a decisive five-wicket victory over Essex. The match, held at Chelmsford, saw Tash Farrant and Grace Harris each take three wickets, significantly undermining Essex's batting efforts. The home team initially appeared strong with an opening partnership of 75 runs between Grace Scrivens, who scored 39, and Lauren Winfield Hill, who added 36. However, the momentum shifted as Farrant and Harris dismantled the order, ultimately limiting Essex to a total of 148 for 7. In response, Surrey faced early challenges, slipping from 67 for 2 to 85 for 3. Yet, Kira Chathli's steady innings of 40 runs off 34 balls, along with Alice Davidson-Richards' boundary, helped secure the win with a score of 150 for 5, leaving Surrey with nine balls to spare. Farrant emphasized the importance of bouncing back from previous matches to regain winning form in the tournament.
In other matches, the Bears triumphed over Hampshire by 13 runs, and Durham achieved a four-wicket victory against Somerset. At Edgbaston, the Bears' success was powered by 19-year-old Meg Austin, who scored her first half-century in the competition with 51 runs off 38 balls. This performance helped the Bears set a challenging total of 178 for 7. Hampshire struggled in their chase, losing key wickets early and failing to keep pace with the required run rate, finishing at 165 for 7. Meanwhile, at Taunton, Durham capitalized on a solid performance by Bess Heath, who scored an unbeaten 38 runs, guiding the team to a total of 139 for 6, successfully chasing down Somerset's 138 for 7. Both the Bears and Durham are showing promising form as the tournament progresses, while Surrey's victory has solidified their position at the top of the standings.
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