Kia Talking Points: Aylish Cranstone saves Surrey after Ariana Dowse fifty

The Cricketer looks at the main talking points from the women's One Day Cup game between Surrey and Essex at the Kia Oval

Movement That Inspires play of the day

For the best part of 18 months, Ariana Dowse lived with headaches and her cricket career virtually on pause. She struggled to shake the concussions caused by a freak accident that saw her fall into her car, banging her head on the door.

The previous September, she'd hit Sunrisers' first century. All was right with the world, and her game was enjoying an upward trajectory.

But that blow stalled her, and her 69 against Surrey at the Kia Oval was her first professional half century since then.

For a while, that contribution – along with Flo Miller's unbeaten 74 – looked like a match-winning effort, only for Surrey to save themselves.

Had they failed to win, the home side would have looked back upon a ragtag display, complete with multiple missed runouts that appeared to have let their visitors off the hook, particularly when Surrey found themselves 150 for 7 in reply, before hauling themselves over the finishing line in the end.

Related: Surrey underpinned by their typical teenager

^{Danni Wyatt-Hodge fell cheaply for Surrey (Ben Hoskins/Getty Images)}

Take The Lead, Drive Electric moment of the day

Surrey desperately needed this, having lost three games in a row. Essex, three straight wins to their name, will look back on one that got away.

But the home side were indebted to the returning Aylish Cranstone, who has missed the best part of two years through injury but has come back to crucial effect. This was just her second appearance since the South East Stars days.

The lefthander – a boon in itself for Surrey – played a crucial, mature hand alongside Scotland international Priyanaz Chatterji in hauling themselves to victory from the depths of 150 for 7.

The safety net of Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who has looked imperious so far this summer, brought just a single run from No.6. She is available for Surrey but not for England's ODI series against New Zealand, ahead of the birth of her first child.

Other than Alice Monaghan, who made 49 at the top of the innings, this looked for a long while like a missed opportunity to end a barren spell. 

^{Jodi Grewcock was missing for Essex (Stu Forster/Getty Images)}

Essex improvements

Essex did well to recover initially from the shock of losing Grace Scrivens to the very first ball of the match.

Certainly, previous iterations of the same side might have struggled to build a competitive total from there – even more so once Cordelia Griffith holed out for just 10.

But Stephen Parry's impact at Chelmsford has been significant, not to mention the expertise of new batting coach Nick Browne.

That Essex were able to compete without runs from Scrivens – and with Jodi Grewcock away with England – spoke to the continued improvements of a broadly unheralded squad, without the big names of others. 

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