Match Preview: Hampshire Hawks v Surrey, Vitality Blast Double Header

Hampshire Hawks v Yorkshire

Vitality Blast Double Header

Friday 26 June

Women’s match – 3pm start

Men’s match – 7pm start

Utilita Bowl

Hampshire Hawks are BACK in Vitality Blast action, as they host Yorkshire at BLAST FEST at Utilita Bowl.

BLAST FEST will see supporters enjoy a festival-inspired matchday experience featuring live music from fan-favourite band The Anthems, festival performers, entertainment around the ground and two Vitality Blast fixtures featuring the Hawks Women and Men.

Hawks Men currently sit top of the South Group having won their five previous matches.

South African star Tristan Stubbs is the leading run-scorer, with 166 runs to his name, whilst Australian powerhouse Hilton Cartwright has 161 runs at a mammoth strike rate of 204.

Scott Currie is the third leading wicket-taker in the men’s competition, with his 12 wickets beaten only by Duan Jansen and James Sales. His variations brought him career-best figures of 4/18 against Essex, whilst his economy rate is amongst the lowest in the tournament.

Hawks Women sit in fourth place with 18 points, having won three and tied two of their six matches.

They have begun to build some form in T20 cricket in recent weeks, with their three wins coming in their previous four matches, plus a win on the road against Glamorgan in the Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup which sees them qualify for the quarter-finals on 23^rd August.

Maia Bouchier, who missed out on England’s T20 World Cup squad, is the leading run-scorer with 171, with Georgia Adams not far behind on 151.

Skipper Adams is the side’s leading wicket-taker along with Australian all-rounder Amanda-Jade Wellington. The spin duo have 11 wickets each, the joint third-most in the competition.

Yorkshire’s men sit top of the North Group, boasting star power in Jonny Bairstow, who is their top run-getter so far, and Moeen Ali who signed a two-year white ball deal.

In the women’s team’s first year in Tier One, they sit in eighth without a win. Watch out for 2017 World Cup winners Lauren Winfield-Hill and Beth Langston, plus Aussie overseas Jess Jonassen. England and Southern Brave leg spinner Sarah Glenn will also be in action having returned from injury.

Hampshire Hawks Squads

Hampshire Hawks Women

Hawks Women have named a 13-player squad for their Vitality Blast match against Yorkshire.

The squad remains unchanged from Wednesday’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup win over Warwickshire, where Rhianna Southby made a career-best 90*.

Ella McCaughan remains with England A for their series against India A whilst Daisy Gibb continues to recover from a knuckle injury.

Hampshire Hawks Men

Hampshire Hawks Men have named a 17-player squad for this fixture.

Ben Mayes, Eddie Jack and Scott Currie come back in following England Lions’ series against South Africa A.

Fast bowler Sonny Baker is also included following his Test debut against New Zealand at the Oval last week.

The Opposition

Yorkshire Women

Previewed by Graham Hardcastle, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

Captain: Lauren Winfield-Hill  

Overseas player: Jess Jonassen (Australia, all)

2026 standings: 8th

2026 leading run-scorer: Sterre Kalis (141)

2026 leading wicket-taker: Jess Jonassen (6)

Key winter moves: Yorkshire have signed two international spin-bowling all-rounders in England’s Sarah Glenn and Australia’s Jess Jonassen. Both add quality and know-how to a largely inexperienced squad looking to make the step up to Tier 1 having impressed in last year’s Tier 2 Blast when they were beaten finalists against Middlesex. In all, they won nine of 10 matches in that competition.

The big question: Can they stand some absence through the middle phase of the season because of the T20 World Cup being played in England? Sterre Kalis, Rachel Slater and potentially Hannah Rainey too will be missing a good chunk of matches due to Netherlands and Scotland duty. It’s far from ideal for coach Rich Pyrah, who isn’t blessed with a deep squad.

Wildcard watch: Ines Blackwell. Yorkshire’s Academy all-rounder turns 17 on May 30. She’s very highly rated by the White Rose hierarchy, as indicated by her being a regular fixture in the team through the early-season One-Day Cup block. A middle-order batter and a medium-pace, in-swing bowler, she is an ‘old head on young shoulders’ character. In a ODC tie against Durham, she even pulled Lauren Filer for six.

Final thought: Yorkshire’s start to life in Tier 1 has been a real mixed bag. They have played some brilliant cricket and even beat defending One-Day Cup champions Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford. But they have also let some victories slip through their grasp. They won two of their first four matches and potentially should have won all four. Countless run outs and a lack of tail-end runs has hurt them. If they are going to progress quickly, they need to wise up.  

Form Guide:

Hampshire Hawks Women’s recent Vitality Blast matches:

• June 9 2026 | Lancashire Thunder v Hawks, Blackpool | Hawks won by eight wickets (with 25 balls remaining)
• June 7 2026 | Essex v Hawks, Chelmsford | Hawks won by 55 runs
• May 29 2026 | Hawks v Surrey, Utilita Bowl | Match Tied
• May 26 2026 | Hawks v Essex, Utilita Bowl | Hawks won by 23 runs
• May 24 2026 | Durham v Hawks, Chester-le-Street | Hawks lost by 32 runs

Yorkshire Women’s recent Vitality Blast matches:

• June 9 2026 | Durham v Yorkshire, Chester-le-Street | Match abandoned without a ball bowled
• June 5 2026 | Yorkshire v Durham, Headingley | Yorkshire lost by 21 runs
• May 29 2026 | Yorkshire v Essex, Headingley | Yorkshire lost by three runs
• May 27 2026 | Somerset v Yorkshire, Taunton | Yorkshire lost by 39 runs
• May 24 2026 | Yorkshire v Surrey, Headingley | Yorkshire losy by four wickets (with 27 balls remaining)

Yorkshire Men

Previewed by Graham Hardcastle, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

Captain: Jonny Bairstow

Overseas players: Hasan Ali (Pakistan, all), Faheem Ashraf (Pakistan, all), Logan van Beek (Netherlands, first half).

Finals Day appearances: Three (2012, 2016, 2022)

Titles: None

2026 standings: 1st in North Group 

2026 leading run-scorer: Jonny Bairstowe (250)

2026 leading wicket-taker: Hasan Ali (11)

Key winter moves: Pakistani duo Hasan Ali and Faheem Ashraf have replaced injured duo Naveen-ul-Haq and Will Sutherland. Experienced Australian pair AJ Tye and Sam Whiteman are in on domestic-qualified deals, while ex-England all-rounder Moeen Ali is the headline recruit on a two-year Blast-only deal. Former captain Dawid Malan has gone to Gloucestershire, with Jonny Bairstow stepping into his leadership shoes. Jordan Thompson has also left for Warwickshire.

The big question: Can Yorkshire shed themselves of an unwanted statistic? They are one of only four counties never to have won the Vitality Blast alongside northern rivals Derbyshire and Durham, and also Glamorgan. Coach Anthony McGrath and general manager of cricket Gavin Hamilton have gone for added experience in a bid to change years of underachievement in county cricket’s shortest format.

Wildcard watch: Will Luxton showed signs of excellence last summer, posting three fifties, including a stunning 90 not out opening the batting in a surprise away win over North Group winners Lancashire Lightning. With Malan Gloucestershire-bound, there’s a permanent place at the top of the order within exhilarating 23-year-old Luxton’s grasp. If he can grab it, it could be fun to watch.

Final thought: A quote from Gavin Hamilton in December, shortly after the 2026 fixtures were released, perfectly sums up how Yorkshire’s hierarchy are viewing T20 cricket. He said: “Next season is absolutely huge in terms of the Blast. Look, we know where we are in terms of our T20 side. We’re not where we want to be. We’re well aware that we can’t just keep doing the same things. That first trophy would be a stepping stone, hopefully, to bigger things.”

Head-to-Head:

Hampshire Hawks Men’s record in T20 matches v Yorkshire Men:

Hampshire Hawks Men’s recent Vitality Blast matches:

• June 5 2026 | Surrey v Hawks, Kia Oval | Hawks won by five runs
• June 2 2026 | Hawks v Sussex Sharks, Utilita Bowl | Hawks won by 29 runs
• May 31 2026 | Middlesex v Hawks, Merchant Taylors’ School | Hawks won by eight wickets (with 36 balls remaining)
• May 29 2026 | Hawks v Surrey, Utilita Bowl | Hawks won by five wickets (with five balls remaining)
• May 26 2026 | Hawks v Essex, Utilita Bowl | Hawks won by 30 runs

Yorkshire Men’s recent Vitality Blast matches:

• June 7 2026 | Leicestershire Foxes v Yorkshire, Uptonsteel Grace Road | Yorkshire lost by 12 runs
• June 5 2026 | Yorkshire v Lancashire Lightning, Headingley | Yorkshire won by 106 runs
• May 31 2026 | Yorkshire v Gloucestershire, Headingley | Yorkshire lost by 56 runs
• May 29 2026 | Durham v Yorkshire, Chester-le-Street | Yorkshire won by 58 runs
• May 24 2026 | Yorkshire v Derbyshire, Headingley | Yorkshire won by two wickets (with four balls remaining)

Tickets

Tickets for Hampshire Hawks Vitality Blast double header against Yorkshire are available here.

Buy the day before the game and save £6 per ticket, with entry for U17s just £5.

You can also buy our four-match pass for just £65.

Coverage

The match will be live streamed on the Hampshire Cricket YouTube channel with radio commentary available on the BBC Sport website and app, and on BBC Sounds.

A live match centre with scorecard, statistics, and insight will be available via www.utilitabowl.com/cricket/news.

Fans can stay updated on the match via the Hampshire Cricket X/Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts, where regular score updates, photos from the game, and match clips will be shared.

Weather Forecast

Please follow the link to view the latest weather forecast for Utilita Bowl: https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2634447.