Women's Blast Game 8 - v Surrey - Maddie Russell debuts
By Grockle
June 28 2026
The 15 year old left arm seamer from Sidmouth Maddie Russell makes jher debut today as we lose Chloe Skelton to th A side and surrey turn up with a side that doesn't look like it has lost anyone (they've lost 8) and who will be VERY keen to give us a kicking after we beat them at their place. Fun fun fun!! A health crowd in for this game though so let's hope it's a good one.
Women's Blast Game 8 - v Surrey @Taunton Sunday 28 June 2026
A single home game at Taunton while the men pop up the motorway. Surrey won the toss and will bowl against;
Odgers, Luff, Learoyd, Holland, Griffiths, Hazell (wk) , Davis, Harris, Barnes, Russell, Vukusic
Anna Buckle will bowl the first and Bex Odgers will face the first ball but both bats sem to be deterimined to make a go of the 'Powerplay'. Odgers is dropped early on two by the Surrey skipper Smith at mid on. We have to hope they will make them pay for that. Bex says 'Thankee' with a huge six to the Ondaatje.
They move at it hard and pass 50 at the end of the 5th but Bex does not make it to the 6th as she is LBW to Laura Harris for 30 off 22 at 56 for 1 and in comes Learoyd. The 6th ends at 57 for 1. She also takes a liking to the Ondaatje boundary as she also sixes the bowler to it.
Gregory and Miles are bowling as we move into the 9th and the Somewrset pair play their luck with a close run out and a miss past the keeper from the two. They move to 80 as Gregory finishes her second. Somerset turn the corner and head into the second 10 over stretch at 85 for 1 with Learoyd on 19 from 20 while her skipper is into the 30s.
Unfortunately that is the end of Learoyd's batting as she is caught by Smith off Harris in the 11th at 89 for 2 which means we welcome Niamh Holland to the crease. She works with her boss to get to 3 figures and they achieve that off the 14th from Miles with a single from Holland. Niamh moves on to 7 from 10 and Luff has moved to 35 from 28.
Holland is then bowled by Miles for the 7 and Alex Griffiths arrives. With 5 to go, they have reached 'Nelson' with Sophie moving into the 40s. The 16th will be bowled by Monaghan who has gone for 25 from her first 2. Luffy straight fours her with a one bounce just before the rope to move to 45. Gregory takes the 17th as the Somerset skipper looks at another 50 from 36 balls, the 5th of the season and the 14th for Somerset (5 fours). at 125 for 3 in the 17th. However Griffiths goes to Gregory's last ball (4 overs and 23 for 1)
In the 18th however they get Sophie stumped again by Spence off the biowling of Laura Harris at 128 for 5. out comes Ruby Davis at 128 for 5 to partner the other new bat in Jess Hazell
Moore takes the last over and Hazell is run out going for the second for 9 Davis ends on 8 from 6 and Somerset come up 2 short of the 150 at 148. Surrey spinners have brought that back well only conceding 63 off the last 10.
The Reply
Liv Barnes opens the bowling from the River end and Smith sends the first ball to the Scoreboard boundary - not a great start. Schofield is the other bat in Surrey's opening partnership. Alex Griffiths taks the second at 10 for 0 but they finish on 22 so it is not going to plan at the start of this innings for the home side. Erin Vukusic takes the third to try and stop this momentum early. She keeps it down to one boundary in the over, the only scoring shot. 26 for 0 after 3.
Somerset throw the ball to Maddie Russell early in this game and she provides a classy over which ends with Schofield's wicket (10 off 10) off a short ball which is skied to Luff for 10 - first professional wicket in her first professional over at just over 16 years old. Harris comes in and dispatches the first for 4. 43 for 1
Laura Harris seems to be a bat on a mission as the 50 arrives in the 5th off Holland with Surrey skipper Smith on 19 from 17 and Harris on 20 from a mere 5 balls. The 'Powerplay' ends with 53 on the board, just behind the home side's achievement but ominous is the confidence of this Surrey line-up. Will it be possible to slow them down?
Liv Barnes has not been as frugal as she was and she has gone for 20 from her overs but she does get the wicket of Harris for 26 caught in the deep by Vukusic at 63 for 2. This brings out Spence to partner her skipper. Russell changes ends and has 2 overs 12 for 1 at the end of the 11th. Spence swept a stonking full toss dstraight to Bex Odgers off Lola Harris at 91 for 3. In comes Monaghan.
Smith moves to 50 and Surrey move past 100 and the visitors keep finding the rope as the move to needing 39 from 6 overs as Russell bowls her third and gets her second wicket as Monaghan ios caught by Davis for 6 and she has 2 dfor 22 from 3.
Unfortunately the Surrey skipper is still there on 57 as Franklin joins her needing 25 from 30 balls agains Liv Barnes bowling the 16th at 123 for 4.
Niamh gives us hope as she bowls Briony Smith for 63 off 51 with 10 fours at 133 for 5. They need 16 from 21 as Cranstone takes over. There is too narrow a margin here and franklkin finding the boundary does not help.
With 3 overs to go they need 8 at 141 for 5. Erin Vukusic takes the 18th Her second ball absolutely spears in and she bowls Cranstone for 1. 141 for 5 with Moore in and 7 off 16 needed. The ball is coming in and the fielding from Harris is excellent but a four from Franklin all but finishes it as they then need 2 from 13. Erin finsihes on 1 for 31 from her 4.
Holland takes what will probably be the last and starts with a dot. She bowls Moore with the next. 147 for 7. Out comes Miles. Her first is a dot. The next is a wide which ties the game and she then bowls Miles at 148 for 8 with Gregory on strike - she survives but doesn't score. The last over is given to Lola and her first is a dot. The second is slapped almost through the bowler's hands and at 152 for 8 Surrey win by 2 wickets. A good contest with Briony Smith making the difference probably. Excellent debut for Maddie Russell in a miuch more competitive unit in 2026.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026:07:03:11:36:41 by Grockle.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026:06:28:14:02:13 by Grockle.