MacDonald-Gay six-for seals Surrey win in low-scoring thriller

Ryana MacDonald-Gay returned the best figures ever recorded in women's domestic T20 cricket as Surrey won a low-scoring thriller against Durham by two wickets at the Kia Oval. In only her third game back from a spinal lumber injury, the Surrey speedster was 6 for 11, hitting a hat trick three times, and Bethan Miles went 2 for 10 in her Blast debut to help the visitors fall for 102. Bess Heath top scored for Durham with 28. Durham put up a great fight to keep the score, with Heather Graham getting 3 for 19 and Trudy Johnson getting 2 for 20, helped along by some frantic batting from the hosts. However, Alice Monaghan kept her cool and got Surrey home with 20 not out. Although Hollie Armitage fell early there was little sign of what was to come as Emily Windsor and Mady Villiers, the latter with the aid of a six, took Durham to 37 for 1. However, Monaghan's sharp fielding to run out Villiers was MacDonald's Gay cue to wreak havoc, Windsor edging behind before Graham was bowled between bat and pad. Before MacDonald-Gay returned to catch Kira Chathli with a badly timed pull shot, Mia Rogers saved the first of the hat trick balls. MacDonald-Gay was inches away from completing the hat trick when she hit a ball that narrowly missed both Sophia Turner's bat and the stumps, resulting in Grace Thompson's plumb lbw. In a show of defiance, Heath bowled Alice Davidson-Richards for six, but MacDonald-Gay couldn't stay out of the action for long. She beat Turner with a great catch in the field by Laura Harris before spreadingeagleing Johnson's stumps. The batter escaped the hat-trick attempt for the third time. Miles used a catch from skipper Bryony Smith to tidy up the rest, including Heath. As they began their chase, Surrey lost Smith and Davidson-Richards within three overs. Lauren Filer's corker of a delivery caused the stumps of Davidson-Richards to be rearranged. Spence, on the other hand, started off well and took three fours from Katie Levick before clubbing Filer over the middle for a fourth boundary. Kira Chathli dispatched a full toss from Filer, but her somewhat skittish effort ended when she holed out at mid-off from the final ball of the powerplay. From the very next delivery bowled by Filer, Spence was run out on 18 at fly slip. Later in the over, Filer got revenge by casting Paige Scholfield. Spence then spooned Trudy Johnson into the hands of point and Harris, despite getting off the mark with a six, never looked comfortable before falling for 11. Surrey needed to keep his cool at 68 for 6, well ahead of the rate, but Moore couldn't figure out how to raise the tension any further. MacDonald-Gay, who wouldn't have expected to bat, was yorked by Graham with nine still needed but Monaghan, whose 29 had been crucial in victory over Yorkshire three days earlier, saw them over the line with 20 balls to spare. According to MacDonald-Gay, "I couldn't imagine something as magical as this would happen, and for it to happen here was even more magical." "It was a wonderful time to do this, having it happen here at the Kia Oval, which is the best thing you could have wished for. I just wanted to get back to where I was last year this winter, and I feel like today has prepared me well to continue competing."