Grace Harris posted a blistering half-century and took three vital wickets on debut as Surrey inflicted a first defeat on Hampshire to go top of the Women’s T20 Blast table.
The Australian rattled 63 from 35 balls as the hosts amassed an imposing 213-4 from their 20 overs, with the evergreen Danni Wyatt-Hodge cracking 62 and Paige Scholfield smashing an unbeaten 49 from just 18 balls.
With the Hawks just ahead of the ask with five overs remaining, Harris then ousted opener Ella McCaughan after an imperious knock of 81 and sent skipper Georgia Adams on her way two balls later to end the visitors’ hopes.
The 31-year-old off-spinner – who has more than 50 T20 appearances for Australia under her belt – finished with figures of 3-18 as Surrey won by 32 runs in their first game at the Oval under the county’s name.
After being asked to bat first, the hosts built a solid foundation with openers Wyatt-Hodge and skipper Bryony Smith posting 57-0 in the six-over powerplay.
After clearing the rope three times, Smith fell to her opposite number Adams going for number four, caught at deep mid-wicket by Charli Knott for 33 from 20 deliveries in the eighth over with the score on 73.
England opener Wyatt-Hodge was dropped three times as she put the pedal down but added 54 in just over five overs with Harris before skying seamer Freya Davies off a top edge to deep backward point after making 62 from 41 balls with seven fours and two sixes.
Harris would have been run out for one had it not been for a mis-field by keeper Rhianna Southby but then combined with Scholfield to add another 62 from the next 32 deliveries before the Australian miscued a ramp shot and departed for 63 from 35 balls, with five fours and four sixes, to start the 19th over, with Davies finishing with 2-36 from her four overs.
Though Kira Chathli was run out without scoring, setting off for a leg-side single which wasn’t there, Scholfield motored on, cracking five fours and adding three maximums to finish unbeaten on 49 from just 18 deliveries as the hosts posted 213-4.
Maia Bouchier made a blistering start to the reply with two fours and a straight six as the Hawks were 16-0 from the opening five deliveries only for the England batter to hole-out to Phoebe Franklin at deep mid-wicket to finish Kalea Moore’s over.
After making 16 from nine balls Australia star Knott then cut Tilly Corteen-Coleman straight to Wyatt-Hodge diving forward at extra-cover.
Freya Kemp was pushed up the order but feathered an edge through to the keeper off Alexa Stonehouse to depart for 14.
Moore and Franklin stemmed the flow for Surrey and at the mid-way point of the chase the Hawks were 96-3, two runs fewer than the hosts at the same stage.
McCaughan looked in good touch throughout and brought up her third straight half-century from 32 balls with her 10th four as light rain began to fall in south London.
After a slow start, Adams had a stroke of luck as she skied Franklin back to the non-striker’s end, only for Franklin to uncertainly put down the catch with Adams running within a couple of feet of her to complete the single.
The Hawks skipper hit fit-again Tash Farrant for back-to-back boundaries to bring up the 50 partnership with McCaughan from 33 balls as the visitors stayed in touch while McCaughan was given another life as the diving Scholfield put down a high chance running around from long-on as the opener moved to 66 from 40 balls.
A total of 62 was needed from the final five overs but Harris picked up the prize wicket of McCaughan who miscued an attempted pull back to the bowler to take a towering catch and send her back to the pavilion for 81 from 50 balls.
Two balls later, Scholfield pulled off a stunning catch at long-on, diving forward to cling on to send Adams on her way for 29 from 24 balls, taking the Hawks hopes with her and Harris bowled Mary Taylor from the final delivery as Surrey made it two wins from two and edged ahead of Essex at the top of the table on net run rate.
Surrey all-rounder Grace Harris told the ECB Reporters Network: “It’s a fantastic start. It was very good to get 200 on the board and then defend it.
“Bryony and Danni got us off to a fantastic start. I might have ridden my luck a bit early on, but as long as you cash in you’re good to go right?
“I was happy with the way I played. I was surprised to get a role in the death overs and a few cheeky wickets at the back end there.
“I just enjoy cricket and whatever role I’m given I try and embrace that.”
Hampshire skipper Georgia Adams said: “I think we are pretty happy with the way we went about that chase. I think we probably let them get 20 too many which in the end was probably the difference between the two sides.
“I think in a funny sort of way trying to stay ahead of the DLS score was actually helping us because it kept us on track throughout the overs.
“I thought Ella was brilliant and we were ahead of the rate for a lot of it, but just fell away in the last five overs.
“We were playing cat and mouse with the rain a bit and it is difficult mentally because as batters at the crease you are always thinking what do we play for.
“We battled through, but the Grace Harris over where we lost Macca (McCaughan) and I killed us really.”
