Surrey CCC news round-up: Injury list is lessening with trio the only players sidelined
Surrey’s list of walking wounded, which, at one stage, ran to as many as eight, is now down to just three – Rikki Clarke (finger), Jade Dernbach (calf) and Ollie Pope (shoulder).
Pope, who went under the knife a couple of weeks ago, is not expected to play again until September, which is a massive blow to his hopes of featuring in this summer’s Ashes.
Prior to his injury, the 21-year-old batsman said: “A year ago my main aim was just to keep hold of my place in the first team, and the next thing I knew I was playing for England.
“This year I’m just going to go out there every game and give it my all. Hopefully what follows will be another chance to play for England.
“If I do get the opportunity to play for England again, I’ve already got my cap, I won’t have those first game nerves – I know what it’s about so I’ll be able to focus on putting in a performance.”
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Any hopes Surrey’s second XI had of qualifying for the semi-finals of the Second Eleven Trophy were extinguished by Kent at Canterbury, last Tuesday. Surrey posted 267-5 in their 50 overs, after electing to bat, thanks to Nick Welch (90) and Ben Geedes (61), who shared in a 144-run third wicket partnership.
But that was trumped by Kent’s Jordan Cox (135 not out) and Sean Dickson (67), who put on 156 in 29 overs for the hosts’ first wicket to set-up an eight-wicket Kent victory.
Should Kent win their final group game (against Middlesex on 16 May), they will join Somerset as the other representative from the South Division in the last four.
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Surrey’s Nat Sciver led the Supernovas to victory in the final of the Women’s T20 Challenge over Dani Wyatt’s Velocity in Jaipur.
Supernovas spinner Radha Yadav, 19, hit a four off the final ball to seal victory, which seemed unlikely when her side slipped to 64-5 chasing 122. India’s Harmanpreet Kaur hit 51 off 37 balls to turn the match around.
Surrey and England all-rounder Sciver took 1-27 and scored two for the victorious Supernovas. Wyatt fell for a five-ball duck as her side posted 121-6 – India wicketkeeper Sushma Verma top-scoring with 40.
The Women’s T20 Challenge is seen as a prelude to a possible Women’s Indian Premier League.