Sorry Surrey struggle to raise their game as Elwiss steers the Blaze to bonus point win

The Blaze (166/5 from 34.3 overs) beat Surrey (164 all out) by 5 wickets with 93 balls remaining

Richard's salmon & cream cheese bagel courtesy of the food festival at Trent Bridge

On a Bank Holiday set aside to celebrate the labour of the people, The Blaze laboured to a sluggish, but ultimately convincing win against a Surrey side who seemed somehow bewildered and lost under the low grey clouds at Trent Bridge.

The Blaze won the toss and had no hesitation in inserting the opposition on a chilly, grey early May morning. Trent Bridge is still undergoing building works, a project which seems to be lasting so long it would be no surprise if a high-speed rail line should emerge eventually from under the coverings at the Stuart Broad End.

However, the Surrey batters had no intention of beginning the game at the speed of an express train, Paige Scholfield taking 11 balls to amass her one run before having her stumps re-arranged by Charley Phillips. 

Phillips had a marvellous day out at Chester-le-Street only two days ago, clean bowling three of her Durham victims, all for ducks, on her way to a very impressive 5 for 49. She seems to have developed a very smart “you miss and I’ll hit” bowling philosophy, which is proving rather successful.

Following Scholfield’s departure, opener Alice Monaghan was joined by her captain, Kira Chathli, with whom she shared 19 runs across the next 6 overs of the powerplay. Caution was clearly uppermost in their thinking, as Phillips was troubling the batters with her deceptively pacey bowling, which seems to gather pace after pitching by skidding on – perhaps owing to her slightly slingy style.

Monaghan departed in the 10^th over, hitting a low catch to Tammy Beaumont at square leg after Lucy Higham dropped slightly short. However, it was the advent of Kirsty Gordon bringing herself on to bowl in the 11^th over that turned the game decisively the way of The Blaze. Bryony Smith, Alice Davidson-Richards and Jemima Spence all came and went before the end of the 15^th over, leaving Surrey on a precarious 57/5.

A captain’s innings was required from Kira Chathli, who had been watching partners arriving and departing from the safety of the non-striker’s end. Chathli dug in alongside Scottish international Priyanaz Chatterji in order to squeeze out 36 more runs over the next nine overs. It was not the most entertaining fayre for attendees of Trent Bridge’s Street Food Festival to tuck into, but it was desperately needed.

Chathli’s eventual departure, trapped lbw by Josie Groves’ leg spin, brought left-hander Aylish Cranstone to the crease, who carried on in the same manner as Chathli, aiming to not get out, take the game deep and accumulate three or four runs every over. By the time Cranstone departed, trapped lbw by Lucy Higham at the end of the 34^th over, we had seen only two boundaries since the end of the powerplay and Surrey were crawling along at 136/7 with still 16 overs to play.

A run per ball from this point would take Surrey to 230, but with Priyanaz Chatterji now having to bat with the tail, a lot rested on the young Scot’s shoulders. Chatterji’s departure as Surrey reached the 40 over mark was really the beginning of the end from them.

Dani Gregory and Tilly Corteen Coleman both seemed unlikely to be able to stick around for the final ten overs, and so it proved, the young left arm spinner particularly enhancing her growing reputation as England cricket’s premier number 11 as she stood like a rabbit in the headlights as Charley Phillips launched her best yorkers down the pitch, eventually removing Corteen-Coleman’s off stump, an act which seemed more compassionate than ruthless. Surrey were all out for a very under-par 164 after only 43 overs.

The Blaze’s reply mirrored Surrey’s innings almost exactly. England’s World Cup ODI opening partnership of Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont opened the batting. Both were back in the pavilion within five overs, Beaumont unconvinced by the adjudication that she was caught at slip by Smith from the bowling of Corteen-Coleman for a duck, Jones having her off stump removed by Maitlan Brown, who had by then also removed Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce for a two ball duck.

The Blaze, at 19/3 needed a partnership to develop. Georgia Elwiss, the vastly experienced former England all-rounder and the younger Bryce sister, Sarah, were the ones to do this. With such a low total set by Surrey, there was no need to hurry.

They played Tilly Corteen-Coleman and Maitlin Brown very cautiously, taking no risks, knowing that easier bowling was on its way of they were patient. When Priyanaz Chatterji and Alice Monaghan were brought on, it started to feel safe to take more risks. When Bryce dispatched Monaghan to the boundary for four in the 15^th over, it felt that this was the moment when The Blaze would ease themselves towards a comfortable victory.

And then, a twist. Monaghan immediately clean bowled Bryce and then Claridge in consecutive balls. The Blaze, on 61/5, with still 104 runs needed, were in big danger of failing to chase down their target.

Georgia Elwiss was still there and she was joined by Emma Jones, who left Surrey at the end of last season, arguably under-utilised and under-appreciated by the side from The Oval and given a new lease of life by The Blaze. Elwiss’s experience and Jones’s point to prove was a winning combination for The Blaze. As each over went by, these two players grew in confidence. The boundary count increased (19 boundaries to Surrey’s 8) and Elwiss accelerated to a half century.

In the 35^th over, with the game now a foregone conclusion, Jones rubbed salt into the wounds of her former team-mates by reverse sweeping Maitlan Brown twice to the boundary to win the game for The Blaze.

A very disappointing day for Surrey, who may point to the missing Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Alice Capsey and Sophia Dunkley as mitigating factors.

The Blaze, however, also missing Nat Sciver-Brunt and overseas signing Orla Prendergast, proved themselves by far the superior team and are deserved leaders of the Metro Bank Cup table.