T20 Blast round-up: Surrey back on top, wins for Bears and Durham

Essex went into the game against Surrey having lost their previous two, but Scrivens and Winfield-Hill gave home followers cause for optimism with 13 boundaries between them before the former was caught at cover off Dani Gregory.

Winfield-Hill – who was dropped on seven – followed in the next over when she tried to sweep Harris and top-edged to fine leg, but it was a spell by Farrant that sent the innings into decline.

She bowled Lissy MacLeod behind her legs with a looping yorker and had Cordelia Griffith caught at deep mid-wicket next ball.

Farrant thought she had a hat-trick as she appealed for leg before against Jo Gardner, but the umpire had spotted a thin edge. However, the left-armer (3-20) had Maddie Penna caught in the deep in her next over.

Harris rounded off the innings by taking return catches offered by Gardner and Eve Gray – and there were two wickets in an over for Esmae McGregor as Bryony Smith and Alice Capsey fell to successive balls to leave Surrey 31-2 in their chase.

There was further encouragement for Essex when Danni Wyatt-Hodge (21) hit Aftaba Maqsood to mid-off, but Chathli and Harris (31) added 40 in three overs and even though both departed as McGregor returned 3-33, Davidson-Richards and Phoebe Franklin finished the job.

“We weren’t at our best on Wednesday [against the Blaze], but these games come thick and fast. It’s important to get back to winning ways as quickly as possible,” Farrant said afterwards.