Durham are searching for a third straight win when they take on Somerset tomorrow evening [5:15pm] in the Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup.
Danielle Hazell has named a 12-player squad for the trip to Exmouth who are all in line to make their professional T20 debut for Durham.
Suzie Bates- as an overseas professional, is unavailable to feature in the competition whilst Harriet Robson is set to make her professional T20 debut for Durham after signing a short-term rookie deal with the Club.
Leah Dobson, Lauren Filer, Emily Windsor and Lizzie Scott remain unavailable for selection due to injury.
Durham- alongside all other Tier 1 sides, enter the County Cup at the round of 16 stage after the opening two rounds were contested by teams in Tiers two and three of the women’s cricket pyramid.
Durham head to Exmouth after Wednesday’s six wicket win over Essex in Chelmsford and face a Somerset side who suffered a 31-run defeat against Hampshire on Tuesday at Taunton.
Words from Mia Rogers
It was a very fun day out against Essex, to get two wins in a row and keep the momentum going.
We took a few learning from the Warwickshire win, taking ownership of the game at the end, to finish it off being one of them.
The required run-rate when Mady came in was quite low, so the talk was about keeping it really simple. Mady is a great person to bat with, very experienced. We had played here together previously, so it was satisfying to come back together and do that.
I’m feeling confident with my form. It was a bit streaky towards the end of my innings, but that’s cricket. Hopefully I’ll continue in this manner.
Squad v Somerset (16 May)
Hollie Armitage*, Katherine Fraser, Abi Glen, Bess Heath+, Katie Levick, Emma Marlow, Harriet Robson, Mia Rogers, Grace Thompson, Phoebe Turner, Sophia Turner, Mady Villiers
Opposition Corner
Coach: Trevor Griffin
Captain: Sophie Luff
The big questions: It remains to be seen how Somerset cope without the outgoing Sophia Smale, Lauren Filer and Nat Wraith, while the availability of England players Heather Knight, Charlie Dean and Dani Gibson could prove the difference between success and failure. Can new signings Laura Jackson and Ellie Anderson successfully plug the gaps?
Young gun: Katie Jones. Long considered a precocious talent, the teenage wicketkeeper-batter is ready to realise her potential and establish herself as a regular in the senior side. Capable of scoring valuable mid-order runs, she helped England reach the ICC Under-19 T20 World Cup semi-finals in Malaysia last winter.
Final thought: Littered with international quality, a full-strength Somerset line-up would prove a match for all comers. That said, England call-ups will sap that strength and attaining the consistency of performance required to challenge will be dependent upon less experienced squad members stepping up to the plate. Youthful talent undoubtedly excites, but a lack of depth may hinder West Country prospects.
Match Centre
The Club’s match centre will be in operation for the fixture with live scorecards, statistics & video highlights as they happen. You can watch the game live via Durham’s match centre and Somerset YouTube channel. Durham Cricket will have full coverage on social media, with a full match report at the close.