SOPHIE Luff is preparing for the biggest day of her captaincy on Saturday, August 29, when she leads Somerset Women in the Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup Finals Day at Old Trafford in Manchester.

Somerset will be facing Surrey in the second semi final of the day, beginning at 2.30pm, with the winners taking on either The Blaze or Essex who meet in the day’s opener at 11.00am.

Earlier this week Sophie, who made her senior debut for Somerset when she was 15 years old, said: “This is a great opportunity for us and something that we have worked really hard to achieve, and we are all just buzzing. It’s our first finals day for the club and it’s one we are really looking forward to. If we play our best cricket then we have the opportunity to win a trophy.”

Sophie reflected on the win against Hampshire in the quarter final. “We had a great win against Hampshire in the quarter finals and it was great to have Heather (Knight) and Charlie (Dean) back in the team. The girls played brilliantly and it was the brand of cricket that we have been wanting to play all the year in T20 cricket. If we can stick to that and play our best cricket then we have got every chance of winning a trophy.”

How did Sophie feel about facing Surrey in the semi finals? “All of the teams there are good sides but we have beaten Surrey already once this season in that format so we will go in with lots of confidence. When Surrey are the team you are facing it’s a big incentive, so it would be nice to knock them out in the semi final and make the first final for the club.

“It would be great to get the first silverware for the women’s team. The men have had a lot of success here over the last few years and as a women’s club in it’s infancy we want to emulate that, so to be in contention for that is what we have been working hard for and hopefully the girls can go and put on a show and really enjoy the day.”

Sophie has been a big part of Somerset’s success this season and has led from the front. To date in all formats she has scored 996 runs which includes 8 half centuries in T20 cricket where to date she has been averaging 38.05.

“It’s been really cool , and it’s been a bit remarkable to be honest- the last week in itself has been a bit mad- winning The Hundred with Trent Rockets, coming back and then going to Chelmsford and hitting a century and sharing a record partnership with Rebecca Odgers and then 80 odd not out in a quarter final to get us to a finals day - and that’s just the last week.”

Sophie added: “I’m hungry for more though like I always am and hopefully I can put in some performances on Saturday that get us over the line and win the first trophy for Somerset Women.”

Following T20 Women’s County Cup Finals Day, Somerset return to Metro Bank One Day Cup action where they travel away to face Yorkshire on 3rd September, followed by The Blaze at Trent Bridge on Sunday, 6th September.