Report & Reaction: Hampshire Hawks Women v Surrey, Vitality Blast

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Danni Wyatt-Hodge continued her love-affair with Utilita Bowl as her 65 helped table-toppers Surrey vanquish Hampshire Hawks in a last-ball Women's Vitality Blast thriller.

Until her move to Surrey this winter, England star Wyatt-Hodge had made Utilita Bowl her home since 2017 – with both Southern Vipers in the Kia Super League and regional setup, and Southern Brave in The Hundred.

She led a chase of 156 – after Charli Knott had carefully amassed her T20 best of 74 to get Hawks to bang-on par 155 for four.

Surrey eventually required eleven off the last over, with Paige Schofield and Alice Davidson-Richards taking a two off the final delivery.

Surrey captain Bryony Smith might have lost the toss but the placement of her fielders were exemplarity as Knott and Maia Bouchier struggled to pierce holes in the ring.

Only 32 runs came in the powerplay, with Knott particularly bogged down, as the fielding was backed by consistently tight bowling.

It wasn’t rewarded with a wicket until the ninth over, when Bouchier skewed Alice Capsey to short third to end a 57-run opening stand.

Bouchier’s demise began the start of more steady runs off Knott’s bat, helped by Freya Kemp pushing twos in her short stay – Kemp was caught at long on before Georgia Adams swung to mid off, both off the economical Dani Gregory.

Rhianna Southby also fell, well caught at long on by Alice Davidson-Richards, but while wickets came quickly, runs came even faster.

Knott had found her groove with the cover region a favoured area to power classily along the floor and to the ropes.

The Australian had scored her T20 best in the victory over Essex last Thursday, but she went past the 72 she scored at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, Chelmsford.

Her fifty came in 46 balls but ended up with a 61-ball 74 as Hawks accelerated to score 56 runs in the last five overs – with Abi Norgrove sensational in her 24 off 10 balls.

Surrey’s chase of 156 started with a stutter as Bryony Smith without out-Smithed by Linsey Smith – the left-arm spinner striking with her first ball after returning from England duty.

Alice Capsey looped international team-mate Lauren Bell to midwicket and Kira Chathli was unbelievably caught at point as the visitors slumped to 35 for three.

Wyatt-Hodge is very familiar with Utilita Bowl having played for Southern Vipers and Southern Brave since 2017 before her winter move to Surrey. In that time, she hit boundaries to nearly every crevice.

That made her the perfect person to get the chase in order as she got things motoring with a six down the ground off Smith.

Her eighth T20 half-century on the ground came in 30 balls but Mary Taylor’s second over brought two wickets and made Hawks favourites.

Grace Harris, who had put on 66 with Wyatt-Hodge, picked out long on and then Wyatt-Hodge sliced to backward point.

Paige Scholfield and Davidson-Richards kept the chase in order to make in 18 needed off the last two overs, and 11 off the last over.

Georgia Adams held the first three balls to four runs but Davidson-Richards flashed a boundary through the covers before Scholfield hit two off the last ball to secure a nervy win.