Surrey 103 for five (Evans 25, Stewart 2-24) beat Kent 81 for 3 (Khushi 35, Topley 2-27) by 5 runs DLS
South Group leaders Surrey held their nerve in a tense end to beat Kent Spitfires by 5 runs in a rain-shortened Vitality Blast contest on the Kia Oval.
Surrey, put in and with an unfamiliar batting line-up, did effectively to achieve 103 for five from 10 overs after play lastly bought underway two hours and 25 minutes late.
After which extra rain, arriving simply as Kent had been about to start out their reply, left them needing 87 from eight overs beneath the Duckworth/Lewis calculations.
It was Surrey’s seventh win from ten video games, however Kent have now misplaced seven of their first ten group video games and look to be dropping out of rivalry for a top-four end and a quarter-final place.
There have been a number of decisive moments in a quick and livid affair, the primary an excellent fourth over from leg-spinner Cameron Metal by which he conceded solely 4 runs and in addition bowled the damaging Tawanda Muyeye for 22.
Muyeye hit Dan Worrall for a slashed 4 and an outstanding lofted six to lengthy on within the second over, however Jordan Clark allowed solely six runs from the third over, after which Metal’s tremendous over left Kent on 29 for 2 with half their innings gone.
Khushi smashed Chris Jordan over lengthy on for six and Billings hit the Surrey captain, returning alongside Topley from England’s T20 World Cup marketing campaign, for 4 over mid off to maintain Kent within the hunt.
However Khushi’s dismissal from the ultimate ball of the penultimate over, effectively held by Metal diving ahead at lengthy on, felt like a giant momentum swing again to Surrey because it left Kent needing 17 from the final over.
Jordan started with a no ball, from which a leg bye was scampered, however new batsman Tom Rogers might solely dig out a yorker from the free hit alternative and, though he minimize Jordan away for 4 from the following ball, he and Billings (14 not out) couldn’t discover the boundary once more as Jordan’s accuracy beneath stress closed out the sport.
The opposite decisive second within the match got here proper on the finish of the Surrey innings after they had been 94 for 5 with only one ball remaining to be bowled.
As much as then, and regardless of two offside wides, Grant Stewart succeeding in maintaining Surrey’s whole under 100, however he then despatched down a waist-high no ball full toss which Ben Geddes swung away excessive for six behind sq..
That introduced an additional ball, from which a bye was scampered and, in all, 19 runs got here from the over, which had began with Clark crunching an additional cowl 4 earlier than being caught at lengthy off for seven.
There have been 5 different sixes in Surrey’s effort, the primary two pulled by Laurie Evans off paceman Nathan Gilchrist and off spinner Marcus O’Riordan. Evans, coming in after Ryan Patel had departed within the first over, skying Stewart to keeper Billings after one beautiful off-driven 4, made a punchy 25 earlier than he hit O’Riordan to lengthy off.
Dom Sibley muscled Matt Parkinson’s leg spin for six over lengthy on in his 20, which ended to a catch at deep mid wicket off Joey Evison, whereas Jordan pulled the medium pacer for six and Rory Burns produced a exceptional swept most off Gilchrist.
Jordan mishit Gilchrist excessive to mid off to go for 14 and Burns completed 11 not out as he and Geddes, who was unbeaten on seven, noticed Surrey to a complete that proved – simply – to be defendable.
Kent noticed Daniel Bell-Drummond fall for a duck to the second ball of their reply, hitting Topley excessive to deep sq. leg the place 19-year-old debutant Ollie Sykes held the catch.
