Double Header 1 v Hampshire Women

Somerset start their first 2026 Blast game at home by winning the toss and deciding to bat first against Hampshire in much more sunny and warm weather than has been the case so far this season.

Women's Blast Game 1 - v Hampshire @ Taunton Friday 22 May 2026

Somerset win the toss and choose to bat first on a baking May day - first of the year.  Sophie Luff joins Bex Odgers at the start of the games and she is bowled by Tyson for 5 from 4 balls before I finish typing the introduction.  So the experiment with a new opening partnership didn't work all that well.  In comes Anika Learoyd at number 3. 

We welcome back Amanda-Jade Wellington to the ground with the Hampshire side.  Our starting eleven is;

Odgers, Luff (c), Learoyd, Holland, Griffiths, Jones (wk), Skelton, Hazell, Westley, Harris, Barnes

Gibbs opened for the visitors from the River end and Tyson, the first wicket taker, took the first from the MT Pavilion.  A complete change in weather to the rest of this season so far.  It is sunny, clear and pretty warm out there, the Arctic winds seem to have retreated back to the Arctic and we suddenly find ourselves in early summer!! 

A decent crowd is in for the first half of the double header and Bex Odgers is looking to be up for this as we move to 44 for 1 after the first 6 overs. Anika Learoyd has promised something every time she has come out to bat and looks like a very organised and destructive bat if she gets amongst them.

The Somerset 50 arrives from 41 balls with Odgers taking the lead with 25 from 20 and the 8th over brings Wellington on to bowl to look to put the 'press' on the home side.

After 10 overs we have moved on to 81 for 1 with a four from Learoyd moving her to 24 while her partner is a boundary away from her first 2026 Blast 50.  Daisy Gibb returns for the 11th.  She is reversed by Odgers to get to that half ton from 31 balls with 1 six and 7 fours.  She straight drives the next one as well to move her county into 90.  Odgers goes ahead of her best T20 score for Somerset as she moves to 55 beating her 54 against Durham last year away.  Learoyd is dropped off Tulloch on 26 on the 12th by Dattani at mid off.

Odgers brings up the Somerset hundred with a very capable ramp shot to move to 101 for 1.  But in the 12th when Adams is brought on and Odgers fails to punch a close one and is caught by Gibb at point for 57.  She is replaced by Naimh Holland.

At the 15 over stage, Somerset have reached 122 for 2 with Learoyd on 43 with Holland on 11.  Rebecca Tyson returns with spin from the River.  Georgia Adams also provides spin from the MT as well to double it up.    Holland looks to put it into the stands but she finds the hands of Dattani in front of the MT and the 28 run partnership ends with the long on catch.  Somerset have moved to 129 for 3.  In comes Alex Griffiths and  she is dropped by Adams at mid off on 3 runs.  She moves to 11 before she flips a ball from Adams to Wellington and she holds on.  Alex goes for 12 from 9 bringing Chloe Skelton to the crease at the start of the 19th.  Immediately she is run out for 0 at the non strikers end going for a quick single.  141 for 5 brings Katie Jones in.  Anika goes up the wicket and hits a straight two to move to 50 from 45 balls at 147 for 5 with 3 fours and 1 six.  She certainly knows how to hold a bat.  

With an over to go from Daisy Gibb Jones does her job, takes the single and puts Learoyd on strike.  She drives the first for four and then straight drive another under the fielder for a second one.  Taking the score over 150.  This puts Jones back on strike and a full ball from Gibb bowls her with 2 balls to go.  In comes Jess Hazell who takes 2 to move the score to 159 with Jess on 2 and Anika on 61 from 49.  Hampshire need 160 to win.

The Reply

McCaughan and Adams open for the Hawks against Griffiths from the River with Skelton from the MT.  They then move Griffiths to the MT after they move along at about 10 an over in the first few.  By the end of Alex's second Hampshire have rocketed to 39 with McCaughan leading the charge on 26. Chloe returns, this time from the River for the 5th and Adams is put down by a diving Lola Harris at mid off.  She got a hand to it but did not hold on.  Adams was on 16 at 44 for 0.  Westley is introduced to bring the 'Powerplay' to an end.  Some excellent fielding by Griffiths saves at least one four.  I missed Hamposhire's 50 because the cake arrived!  It came at the end of the 6th over with Georgia Adams catching up with Ella McCaughan as we move into the second phase of the game - SKY have a name for it.  We don't,  But we do have cake!!

Niamh Holland taks the 8th at 59 for 0 and Somerset need a wicket to break the hold the opposition presently have on this game.  A point worth mentioning is that this year our side's fielding shirts do NOT clash with the umpires as we seem to be fielding in black this season.  

Olivia Barnes takes the 9th as both Hampshire ats move into the 30s she nearly C&B's Adams at the end of her overat 74 for 0.  it would have been one hell of a catch had she held on to it. - the replay doesn't really confirm she got anything but near to it but it was a good effort.  

Lola Harris brings us to the halfway stage as we see the other side of outfielding in the woman's game.. the drive that the fielder will get nowhere near but she dives anyway though the ball is gone before she gets there.  McCaughan goes to 50 from 31 balls at the end of the 10th and it is 87 for 0 aftter 10.  Niamh Holland takes the next from the River.   Adams tries to sweep her first ball and is bowled as she mistimes the shot.  She goes for 36 off 30 at 87 for 1 and we needed that. 

In comes Naomi Dattani and she works ro get the score past 3 figures in the 13th as they move to 105 for 1 with Dattani supporting the rampant McCaughan who storms to 64 as Lola Harris returns for the 14th.  She gets McCaughan to go hard at a ball and she is well caught in the deep by Bex Odgers at a deep mid off diving to her left.  She goes at 112 for 2 for an important 69 which may have taken this game away.  In comes Amanda-Jade.  We are ahead on countback as Griffiths bowls the 15th from the River to her ex-colleague.

With 5 overs to go Hampshire need 35 to win as Barnes takes the next and holds them to 5 at 130 for 2.  Niamh needs to keep this one tight.  Se starts well by bowling Dattani for 13.  Out comes Francesca Sweet and she nearly plays on first ball.  She tries to ramp the second ball and she also bowled as she misses it. Abi Norgrove is the next bat to the crease and she plays out the over to move to 133 for 5 - a bit of a different  position.  They need 27 from 18 balls. Barnes takes the 18th and goes for 3 off as Hampshire move to 136.  Liv bowls out for 23 runs.  

Hampshire need 24 from 12 as Holland bowls the penultimate one.  they take a single from the first to put dangerwoman Wellington on strike she takes the single.  Wellington gets back on strike but then bottom edges it to er ex captainand goes for 14 from 12.  In comes Southby who bottom edges another through the legs of everyone for a sketchy single and the take a single from the last.  They need 16 from the last as Holland  finishes with 4 for 21 and may have taken this game back.

The last over comes from Chloe Skelton at the MT.  The first ball nearly goes to Bex Odgers hand but she gets a hand to it and stops the four.  They go over the 50 wth the third and Southby moves to 12 from not many.  Hampshire need 8 off 3. She hits a four off the fourth ball and they need 4.  She takes 1 and is off strike with 17 off 7.  They need 3 to win and 2 to tie from the last one with Norgrove on strike.  They run 2 and tie the game.  

McCaughton nearly took it away and Niamh Holland brought it back.  A good game as a taster to the season.