Erin Thomas backs her skill-set but Yorkshire CCC fall to Surrey in sunshine at Headingley

Yorkshire’s openers Lauren Winfield-Hill and Thomas, pictured, launched their side’s innings in impressive fashion by putting on 60 in 5.5 overs.

But Ryana Macdonald-Gay and Kalea Moore both took three wickets to restrict the home side to 133 all out in their 20 overs but this modest target was defended in courageous fashion by the home bowlers.

Jess Jonassen took three wickets as Surrey collapsed to 89-6 but Jemima Spence (20 not out) and Alice Monaghan (29 not out) put on an unbroken 45 for the seventh wicket and the visitors reached their target with 27 balls to spare

“It’s really good to be back in the team, and opening again with Lauren,” said Thomas. “I think we bat well together – it would have been nice to kick on even more today but it’s a great start and hopefully there are good things to come.

“I’m trying to play a pretty aggressive game, to get the team on the front foot – all the players and the staff have really backed me to do that, to back my skill set. Some days it might not come off – it’s high risk, high reward.

“Me and Loz put a good start up, but we didn’t get enough runs in the innings. We did quite well to claw it back, and there was a real energy in our team - but Surrey had a good partnership at the end and played the best cricket.

“We’re a bit disappointed, because we had a good foundation and we didn’t kick on. They were good options, we just didn’t execute.”

Having made 42 off 29 balls with eight boundaries, Thomas’ enterprising innings ended when she was caught at backward point by Laura Harris off Moore in the eighth over and that began a collapse which saw four wickets fall for 18 runs in 27 balls.

The opening pair aside, Yorkshire’s batters hit only four boundaries and the last nine wickets could barely double the 60 runs scored by Winfield-Hill and Erin Thomas.

Surrey’s reply began in thunderous fashion when Smith hit Rachel Slater’s first four balls for four. But a little order was restored when Jonassen bowled Smith for 21. Jonassen also castled Kira Chathli for 14 although those wickets did nothing to moderate the Surrey’s batters’ attacking intent.

Davidson-Richards and Laura Harris continued the assault and the fifty came up in the fifth over. However, Surrey’s rapid progress was disrupted in the eighth over, first when Davidson-Richards was caught by Winfield-Hill off Olivia Thomas for 29 and then when Paige Scholfield was run out for nought first ball.

Yorkshire’s hopes received another boost five balls later when Harris was caught at long on off Jonassen for 19. That left the visitors on 86-5 and the astonishing turnaround continued when Macdonald-Gay was bowled by Holly Garton for nought.

That wicket meant the visitors needed 45 off ten overs but Spence and Monaghan trusted their techniques and guided Surrey to their second victory in this year’s Blast.