Harris stars again as Surrey see off Essex challenge

Grace Harris starred with bat and ball as Surrey got back to winning ways with a five-wicket win over hosts Essex to return to the top of the Vitality Blast standings.

The Australian allrounder took 3 for 26, including two caught and bowled, before striking the game's only six in a swashbuckling 31 as the visitors chased down a target of 149 with nine balls to spare, despite 3 for 33 for in-form home seamer Esmae MacGregor.

Harris shared a stand of 40 with Kira Chathli to allow Surrey to recover from 67 for 3 at the halfway mark.

Earlier, Grace Scrivens and Lauren Winfield-Hill shared an opening stand of 75 but Surrey applied the squeeze with Tash Farrant removing the middle order on route to figures of 3 for 20.

Scrivens bristled with aggression early, sweeping Alice Capsey square for four before belting another from the England allrounder over cover. This proved the hors d'oeuvre to the fifth over where Scrivens showcased shots all around the wicket to sweep, drive, cut and paddle Tilly Corteen-Coleman for four boundaries.

Winfield-Hill, badly missed by Harris on 7, twice flayed fours back passed the bowler as the opening stand swelled.

Scrivens was given a life on 38 when Phoebe Franklin shelled a tough caught and bowled chance, but the Essex skipper departed to the first ball of the next over caught at cover by Harris.

Winfield-Hill departed soon afterwards, chipping a catch to short fine and the usually big-hitting Maddie Penna took 24 balls over 27 as only three fours came in the second half of the innings.

Controversy came when Cordelia Griffith was given out caught on the boundary first ball by Danni-Wyatt Hodge, who stepped beyond the rope before coming back inside to complete the catch. Replays as to whether the England opener had stood on the rope ball in hand were inconclusive.

Skipper Smith opened the chase in typically belligerent fashion, bludgeoning five boundaries in the first three overs, the pick, a lofted drive over mid-on which almost cleared the ropes.

MacGregor ended the revelry as Smith edged onto the stumps and Capsey, back from England duty, was then brilliantly caught and bowled first ball by the 20-year-old. Chathli negotiated the hat-trick ball but Surrey were only 39 for 2 at the end of the powerplay.

Wyatt-Hodge top edged one over the wicketkeeper's head which fell to safety, was then spilt by Griffith at deep cover on 20, but failed to make the most of her good fortune, drilling one from Abtaha Maqsood down the throat of mid-off.

With Surrey behind in the chase Australian Harris took up the baton, cutting and driving for four, while Chathli employed the reverse and conventional sweep for successive boundaries off Sophia Smale. However, having got to 40, Surrey's wicketkeeper top edged the Welsh spinner to short fine.

Harris, sent the first six of the day over the marquee only for MacGregor to exact revenge next ball, but Alice Davidson-Richards and Phoebe Franklin saw Surrey home without further loss.