Surrey return to winning ways in the London Championship with a four-wicket victory over Sussex at Reigate Priory CC.
A collaborative effort from Surrey’s seamers, led by Anna Lewis (2/16) and Emily Burke (2/8), in pace-friendly conditions, stalled Sussex’s innings before Charlotte Stubbs (35) and Hannah Burridge (33) took the Three Feathers home. The win, fetching 17 points, ensures that Surrey leapfrog Sussex and Kent, going into third position with one fixture remaining.
Making the most of a lively deck at Reigate, Lewis validated her captain’s decision to bowl first by delivering a top-class opening spell, where she claimed the first two Sussex wickets and put the visitors under the pump from the get-go.
The Surrey seamer had Phoebe Wilkinson caught behind by Hannah Burridge for two with an outswinger before clean-bowling Regina Suddahazai for 10 with a delivery that nipped in like an off-spinner.
Play that! 💥
Anna Lewis claims her second wicket with an absolute pearler 😮💨
Sussex are 70/3 after 20 overs.
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— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) August 20, 2024
Mollie Adams was the next to depart and Sussex were 32/3 in the 14th over as Stubbs picked up her first wicket of the day.
From there, Sussex skipper Chiara Green got a handy partnership going with Cassidy McCarthy, taking an aggressive route whilst Daisy Feast and Shimako Kato (2/32) were sharing the ball. The Japanese international, however, responded well by breaking the 43-run stand and getting McCarthy caught by Amy Gordon for 23 before bowling Maya Champion two balls later for nought.
Green had steadily moved on to 30 when leg-spinner Laura Bailey had the Sussex skipper caught by her Surrey counterpart. Inside the next six overs, the hosts picked up three more wickets at a cost of 22 runs as Hope Mullins (3) was run out by Feast, Alice Noakes (2) was caught behind off Burke, and Anna Buckle (1) was run out by Gordon.
Batting with the number eleven, Indigo Gentry attempted to put some pressure back on Surrey, striking two fours in her unbeaten knock of 20 by the time Burke bowled Faye Mullins for 3, and the visitors were all out for 132.
Defending a small target, Sussex needed to start fast, and seamer McCarthy (3/29) delivered just that. She pinned Laxmi Johal (1) lbw early on before bowling Gordon (8) with a hooping inswinger that jagged back from way outside the off stump.
Burridge and Feast then saw out a tough opening spell and consolidated Surrey’s innings, taking the hosts to 35/2 by the end of the first powerplay.
Feast, looking to take on off-spinner Suddahazai (2/29) in her first over and not let her settle, was caught at mid-off for 10 immediately after the powerplay. Following the wicket, Burridge and Stubbs however batted with great maturity and did not offer Sussex a way in, manoeuvring the field and keeping the scoreboard ticking in their 42-run stand from 48 balls.
Hannah Burridge, unbeaten on 29, is going nicely at Reigate! 🙌
Surrey are 65/3 after 17 overs, requiring 68 runs more for victory.
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— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) August 20, 2024
Burridge’s fluent innings came to an end on 33 when she was caught off Suddahazai, with Surrey still requiring 50 runs for victory.
Stubbs continued to express herself, playing some terrific shots and adding 24 crucial runs with Robyn Bentley as Surrey inched closer to their target. Stubbs couldn’t see out the game though, McCarthy – the pick of Sussex’s bowlers – bowling the Surrey right-hander for a well-made 35.
Bentley and Alex Travers knocked off another 20 runs from the target but there was more drama left in the low-scoring game. With Surrey five runs away from a well-deserved victory, McCarthy claimed a third, having Travers caught for 13.
Bentley, calm and composed throughout her unbeaten knock of 19, ensured there were no more twists, sealing the win in style with a straight drive for four.
