3rd Double Header - Part 1 Women v Hampshire

Here we go again with a third double match day.  The summer weather has finally arrived and it is blistering at 1:45 as we get ready for the women's game.  It's Charlie Knotts. final game before she goes back to Oz and is replaced by Elise Perry so maybe we've fallen lucky!!  The women are still looking for their first win at the County Ground despite getting close on more than one occasion so the learning curve has been very very steep.  Mr Griffen said we are constantly improving, whihc is true but we need to be consistent once we've got some progress and consistency is also the problem.

Blast Double Header 3 - Somerset Women v Hampshire Thursday 19 June 2025

Hampshire have won the toss and will bat.  They are unchanged.

Somerset are;

Odgers, Holland, Luff, Wilson,Dean, Griffiths, Wellington, Hazel, Skelton, Robbins, Anderson

So one change with Amelie Munday not playing and Naimh Holland moving up the order with Bex Odgers playing as a bat while Jess Hazel comes in as wicket keeper.

Someone has just pointed out that the only thing that Somerset have been consistent about is losing the toss.  Let's hope today changes that and some of the 'learnings' from the last few games start to move the side in a more competitive trajectory against strong opposition.

Once the ball has been delivered Chloe Skelton takes the first over from the River as Bouchier and Knott open their accounts for the Hawks.  They end the first with 8 as Mollie Robbins takes the next from the pavilion.  The first change is Anderson taking the third.  16 runs after 3.  Bouchier takes to the skies for the first boundary in the fourth.

Charlie Dean starts her afternoon next with 23 on the board.  Knott takes a liking to her and hits two fours from the first four balls of her spell,  She continues into Anderson's next one as the 'Powerplay' over sees 50 arrive in 5.5  Knott on 24 from 21 and Bouchier 25 from 15.  51 from the 'Powerplay'.  The 'halfway' score is 89 for 1. Knott doesn't get to 50 as at 43 she fires one back past Dean but straight into the confident hands of Wellington coming in from the Botham boundary. 90 for 2 in the 11th bringing Georgia Adams to the crease.

This brings Amanda-Jade Wellington to the River end after 9 boundaries came in the first 6 overs.  One of the things that seems obvious as we go through this season is that we are sometimes seeing three levels of cricketer on the same pitch at the same time.  The experienced players see gaps and play into them while the good club players are striving to plug those gaps but there are others who are learning as they go game to game and the social cricketers who are now professionals are learning their game on the fly during their first season.  This will level out but it can be obvious at times during these games as we move forwards with the women's game.  It must be hard at times for people trying their damndest to do their best while not quite there yet!!  There are going to be a lot of 'shuttles' run in the off season one might predict to sharpen up the fielding processes for example.

Griffiths takes the 9th, a deviation from the normal bowling plan as the Hampshire opening pair show their experience and take hold of the task with classy shots and glances.  Wellington changes ends and has Bouchier going over the top.  But she doesn't get over Skelton who catches a very good one over her shoulder at 80 for 1.  She goes for 43 in the 10th.  In comes Freya Kemp.