Report & Reaction: Hampshire Women v Surrey, Metro Bank One Day Cup

Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s competition - Hampshire 272/5 beat Surrey 258 by 13 runs

By Alex Smith, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

Danni Wyatt-Hodge smashed her second century of the season but couldn’t prevent Surrey from losing back-to-back Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s competition matches. 

Maia Bouchier and Abi Norgrove had underpinned Hampshire’s voyage to 272 with half-centuries. 

And Bex Tyson proved the best of the three left-arm spinners on show, despite being the only one of the trio not selected for the T20 World Cup, by taking three wickets. 

But England star Wyatt-Hodge almost trumped the lot with a masterful 11th career hundred but Hampshire held their nerve to win by 13 runs to remain unbeaten, as Surrey held off the top of the table. 

All eyes were on Tilly Corteen-Coleman after the 18-year-old had been picked in England’s T20 World Cup, along with the squads to face New Zealand – her first international recognition. 

She was immediately in the action as she bowled the first over, after Hampshire had chosen to bat first, and proceeded to only go for nine runs in her first six over spell. 

The tone that Corteen-Coleman set allowed Surrey to pile on the pressure and stop Hampshire from ever looking like posting an imposing total, despite a host of starts from their top order. 

Ella McCaughan and Bouchier put on 98 for the first wicket, but it took 23 overs, as neither found a scoring flow. 

The most fluid the Hampshire batting looked was when Norgrove and Freya Kemp were joined in an 89-run partnership. 

Having shown plenty of promise without the numbers to back it up, Norgrove has kicked on and proven herself capable of leading the Hampshire middle-order with low-risk batting. 

The former England Under 19 captain began the season with a classy 85, before getting Hampshire over the line against Durham with an unbeaten 29. Her run-a-ball 81 not out here continued that form. 

Despite Norgrove’s stickability, Surrey won the backend of the innings as Kalea Moore dislodged Kemp and Rhianna Southby in successive deliveries before Naomi Dattani was caught scooping. 

Hampshire’s 272 for five had looked slightly short at half-way but Surrey also struggled to find fluency on the used pitch. 

That wasn’t helped by Norgrove pulling off a wonderful one-handed cover catch to dismiss Bryony Smith in the opening over, or when Alice Monaghan popped to mid-off. 

Paige Scholfield was the only Surrey batter to score at will, striking 44 off 55 balls but her demise sparked a collapse of four wickets in 15 balls. 

Tyson was the chief destroyer as she had Scholfield holing out to deep midwicket, Jemima Spence caught behind while scooping, and then, in the following over, she bowled Alice Davidson-Richards. 

In the middle of that whirlwind, Amanda-Jade Wellington got Kira Chathli to edge to slip. 

The damage appeared to have been done, with 192 still required, but Wyatt-Hodge had other ideas by using every bit of her experience. 

But having looked on course to completing a heist, she was run out for 119 with 22 still needed from 15 balls – which Hampshire defended.