Sussex Sharks 197-7 (20 overs)
Surrey 204-5 (20 overs)
Surrey win by seven runs
Any remaining hope that Sussex could make the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast were snuffed out by Surrey at Hove tonight (Friday 18 July).
Will Jacks hit a magnificent 58-ball century while Sam Curran and Chris Jordan, with some canny late bowling, inspired Surrey to their 11th victory in 14 T20 outings.
Jacks powered three sixes and a dozen boundaries as he put on 65 for the first wicket with Ryan Patel and then 97 with Jason Roy. Surrey scaled the 200 mark with a last ball six from Tom Curran over long-off off Tymal Mills.
It all looked too much for the Sussex Sharks. But they were heroic in defeat. Knowing they had to win to qualify for the latter stages of the competition, with results going against them elsewhere, they strove valiantly for victory.
Daniel Hughes, who has been disappointed with his return in the competition this year, plundered 75 from 43 balls, keeping his side in the hunt as he hit former Sussex man Jordan for four fours in one over, before lofting Jamie Overton for a straight six.
At the halfway stage Sussex were 81-1, ten runs adrift of the Surrey score. When Hughes was bowled, backing away to cut Jacks, their target looked challenging. But James Coles and Tom Clark changed all that, with a partnership of 58 in just four overs.
Coles, in great form this season in red and white ball cricket, hit Jamie Overton for successive sixes, one over long-off and then over long-on. And with 33 needed from three overs, and then 21 from two, the home side were favourite.
But Surrey turned the game in the final two overs as Curran took two in three balls, including a brilliant return catch to dismiss Coles for a delightful 39 off 18 balls. He then had Danny Lamb caught behind.
That left Sussex needing 13 off the final over. Even with captain John Simpson on strike, they could not manage it against the clever Jordan as he changed his pace.
Surrey had already qualified for the latter stages with a guaranteed home draw while Sussex, after four successive defeats, earned a lifeline with their last-gasp victory over Gloucestershire yesterday. They knew they could qualify by winning here.
Surrey’s powerhouse batting line up had shown a liking for Hove’s short boundaries in the past and they again got off to a flyer after choosing to bat.
The openers, Jacks and Patel, thumped 47 off the first four overs, with 65 coming off the six-over powerplay as Brad Currie – replacing the injured Ollie Robinson – Nathan McAndrew and captain Tymal Mills all came in for severe punishment.
Sussex pulled it back through the spin of Coles and with Henry Crocumbe and Lamb both impressive as they took pace off the ball.
But then Surrey powered on again through Jacks and with Jason Roy finding form to set an imposing total. But it was only just enough.
Surrey captain Sam Curran said: “I’m really pleased to finish that way. We qualified for the quarter-finals a couple of games ago but we really wanted to finish top of the group.
“That feels special. I thought Sussex played really well but we managed to sneak the win in the end.
“I thought Will Jacks was really special with his hundred. He’s a quality player and he’s shown that all round the world now.
“He’s in England colours now and he’s done so well for us. He was smart because the pitch wasn’t too easy and he used his head to pull it back before going ballistic at the end.
“Fingers crossed we can put in a performance when we’re back at The Oval in a few weeks’ time.”
Sussex skipper Tymal Mills said: “It was a brilliant effort and probably one of our better performances, especially with the bat.
“We were up against a very, very experienced and talented team and there were a few special innings there.
“Daniel Hughes has struggled at times but we saw the best of him tonight – and the way James Coles played was outstanding and he was only removed by an outstanding piece of fielding.
“To lose in that fashion was really disappointing. But we didn’t not qualify because of today’s performance. There are a lot of guys hurting upstairs right now.”
