Surrey started their Women’s County T20 matchday at Chipstead by sealing a 65-run victory in the morning game against Suffolk before falling to a 15-run defeat in the low-scoring evening clash versus Berkshire.
GAME TWO
In a battle to stay unbeaten on the day, Berkshire came out on top with a 15-run win over Surrey. Poppy Tulloch’s excellent spell of 3/13 proved pivotal as the two sides played out a low-scoring contest at Chipstead.
Putting 98 on the board, Berkshire began to defend a small total in the best possible way. Molly Bulteel struck in the first over as Charlotte Stubbs (1) threw her hands and drove uppishly straight to covers. Back-to-back imperious boundaries – cutting Tulloch and then hooking – revealed the fine form in which Amy Gordon is, fresh of her match-winning 73.
Tulloch, though, claimed her revenge, trapping Gordon (9) lbw with a full delivery. Kirstie White (0) was ran out following a mix up in the third over and Maddie Blinkhorn-Jones (0) played Tulloch on two balls later. In the blink of an eye, Surrey were 13 for four after 3.1 overs.
Before the end of the powerplay, Berkshire added a fifth wicket when Tulloch clean bowled Bethan Miles (1) with an impressive delivery. Surrey ended the powerplay on 20 for five and whilst Berkshire didn’t pick up another wicket for more than five overs, they kept their hosts well contained.
Surrey were only 31 for five in the 11th over when Laxmi Johal (6) was pinned lbw sweeping off Lily Bowlby. Robyn Bentley came in next and attempted to accelerate the scoring rate but her 10-run knock, which included two fours, was over when off-spinner Shayna Chikhlia had her caught at deep midwicket. In the following over, Alex Travers became the eighth Surrey batter to fall, clean bowled by Kali-Ann Docherty for 10.
Surrey, however, did not go down without putting up a fight. With 38 needed from 24 balls, Cooper Cooper smashed Docherty for three fours – over mid off, midwicket, and past mid-on – in an over, bringing the equation down to 23 from 20 balls. Targeting the long on boundary, she lifted Docherty again but was brilliantly held by Bowlby near the boundary rope.
Burke was the final batter for Surrey, who were 23 runs away from victory. After her two reverse sweeps don’t fetch her any runs, Burke came across the wicket and opted for the conventional sweep off Chikhlia, adding a couple. Next ball, she brought out the big heave and collected four. On the final ball of the over, with Surrey needing 16 from 13, Chikhlia however pinned Burke for seven and wrapped up a 15-run victory for her side.
Having inserted Berkshire to bat in the third and final match of the day, Surrey started steadily against the watchful openers, Tulloch and Francesca Sweet. Similar to the first game, Gordon trusted the experienced spin partnership of Miles and Cooper to handle the powerplay, and so they did.
Going for just four boundaries in the first six overs, Miles and Cooper maintained their accuracy, keeping Berkshire to 29 for no loss at the end of the powerplay.
The fruit of their patience went to Burke, who came in as first change, when she had Tulloch caught by Stubbs for 15. Stubbs would grab another fine catch in the next over as Gordon had Sweet cutting and caught at point. The second opener departed for 23 and Berkshire were 41 for two.
Izzy Storrar stuck around with Bowlby to add 15 runs before Daisy Feast lured Storrar to attempt a big shot with a lovely, looping leg-spinner and had her caught for seven.
In the very next over, left-handed Bowlby sent Stubbs for two boundaries, with Berkshire taking ten from her over and another seven from Feast’s over. Stubbs came back strongly and stuck twice in three balls, uprooting Muttitt’s stumps for one and getting Bowlby caught for a well-made 23.
Abigail Avery and Camplin increased the visitor’s score by another 12 runs before Miles returned to bowl the final over, dismissing Avery on the very first ball. Camplin (12*), however, lifted her on the leg side and found the gap to collect a vital boundary and ensured that Berkshire finished close to a hundred.
GAME ONE
An outstanding bowling performance from Surrey’s spinners backed up a match-winning innings from skipper Amy Gordon in the first game of the day at Chipstead CC, as Surrey triumphed by 65 runs against Suffolk.
Having elected to bowl first, there was an early breakthrough for Suffolk’s Imogen Sidhu who bowled Daisy Feast without scoring in the first over.
Kirstie White joined skipper Amy Gordon in the middle and the two kept the scoreboard ticking over nicely and moved Surrey on to 18/1 after five overs. 21 runs came off the sixth over as Gordon took five fours off Amelie Clarke’s only over of the innings. She rocked back off the second delivery to despatch the ball over long on, before pulling the next legitimate ball round the corner. The fourth ball was cut hard just in front of square, followed by a pull to the midwicket boundary before the final ball of the over was also cut for four.
Isobel Sidhu bowled well to keep things tight and was rewarded with the wicket of Kirstie White who pulled the ball to midwicket to end a stand of 62. Joined by Maddie Blinkhorn-Jones, Gordon continued to keep the scoreboard moving and moved past 50. But Blinkhorn-Jones was bowled for five to bring Bethan Miles to the crease. A clubbed six over mid-on from Gordon was followed by a flurry of boundaries from Miles who hit the first three deliveries of the 17th over for four before being caught for 19.
Laxmi Johal joined the skipper and did a brilliant job to ensure that Gordon saw the majority of the remaining deliveries. She finally fell off the penultimate ball of the innings for a terrific 73 off 64 balls caught in the deep off the bowling of Poppy Sidhu. Thanks to the skipper’s knock, Surrey finished on 132-5 off their 20 overs.
Surrey opened up with the dual spin attack of Claudie Cooper and Bethan Miles and it was Cooper who made the breakthrough, bowling Sophie Hughes for two with a ball from around the wicket that skidded on to hit middle and off.
The spinners kept things really tight with Miles going for just three runs off her first three overs. Cooper struck again to dismiss Natalie Samuels for two thanks to an excellent catch from Kirstie White off a spiralling top edge. Cooper picked up another wicket as Olivia Hyndman was caught in the deep by Charlotte Lambert and four balls later she had her fourth when Jess Board chipped the ball back to the off-spinner. Cooper finished with an outstanding 4-5 from her four overs.
It was Daisy Feast’s turn to pick up a wicket three balls later when Amelie Clarke cut the ball to Amy Gordon for 10 runs leaving Suffolk in big trouble at 22/5. Imogen and Isobel Siddhu dug in and were watchful against the spin of Feast and Gordon as they tried to rebuild the innings.
They rotated the strike well but were always a long way behind the run rate and Surrey quick Charlotte Lambert made the breakthrough to dismiss Issy Sidhu for 12, caught in the legside looking to be aggressive by Robyn Bentley with Suffolk 48/6 after 17 overs.
Miles returned to bowl the final over and picked up two wickets with the final two deliveries of the match, first having Imogen Sidhu caught by Cooper for 15 and then trapping wicket-keeper Oastler in-front next ball. Suffolk finished 67-8 off 20 overs to give Surrey victory by 65 runs.
