Warwickshire 172 for 5 (Freeborn 51, Perrin 50) beat Surrey 130 (Davidson-Richards 39, Mary Taylor 3-24, Baker 3-35) by 42 runs
Warwickshire Bears posted their first Vitality Blast women's competition win of the season as they demolished Surrey by 42 runs at Edgbaston.
Opening batters Abigail Freeborn and Davina Perrin both secured half centuries and laid the foundations for the Bears, who reached 172 for 6 from their 20 overs.
Surrey were in the game at 53 for no wicket but they collapsed to 130 all out, with the final wicket coming from the final delivery of the match.
The Bears set a punishing pace, having elected to bat first. Perrin (50 from 39 balls) and Freeborn (51 from 33 balls) both took full advantage of the powerplay and mounted aggressive attacks on the visiting bowling unit.
Perrin, back from a six-week injury, played understudy to opening partner Freeborn who quickly bludgeoned 37 from just 14 deliveries.
Surrey did not help themselves in the field; they put down three glaring catches over the course of the innings and conceded cheap runs in the outfield.
The Bears were 80 for no wicket after eight overs and were eyeing a big score; Freeborn brought up a 28-ball half-century but the hosts did struggle to get Kalea Moore, whose four overs only cost 23 runs, away consistently.
Surrey then made an invaluable breakthrough when Freeborn attempted to scoop Anna Buckle over her shoulder but only succeeded in picking out Dani Gregory at short fine leg.
Perrin brought up her own half-century from 38 balls with a classy drive, but departed the next delivery when she was adjudged to have lifted Buckle (2 for 35) into the gloves of keeper Jemima Spence. Georgia Redmayne assumed responsibility for the innings but wickets began to tumble at the other end; Katie George was stumped off the bowling of Gregory and then Amu Surenkumar was run out for a golden duck.
With thanks to Mary Taylor (23 not out from 13 balls) Warwickshire rose up to a competitive total of 172, even if they had had a more substantial total in their collective heads at the halfway point in the innings.
In response, Surrey's opening pair Bryony Smith (30 from 23 balls) and Alice Davidson-Richards (39 from 36 balls) did establish a platform after a powerplay of sensibility and sound shot selection.
They were 48 without loss but Hannah Baker, with her third ball, clean bowled Smith who aimed to heave violently and failed to connect. Legspinner Millie Taylor then snared the wicket of Spence when Freeborn took an excellent catch and when captain Georgia Davis had Paige Scholfield stumped, the Bears were on top in defence of their total.
Warwickshire continued to make inroads as Surrey desperately sought runs; Phoebe Franklin and Laura Harris were victims of Mary Taylor in successive balls and Baker had her second when she trapped Alice Monaghan plumb in front. Davis then removed Aylish Cranstone and Moore in the same over before Surenkumar claimed the wicket of Davidson-Richards, to leave Surrey no route back into the game.
