Sean Abbott’s record-equalling innings for Surrey will take time to sink in

BY MARCUS HOOK

Sean Abbott dedicated his whirlwind 110 not out off 41 balls to the memory of the late Andrew Symonds – known to everyone as ‘Roy’ – whose record for the fastest T20 hundred in English domestic cricket he equalled in Surrey’s 41-run victory over Kent at the Oval last week.

Abbott’s astounding knock featured 11 sixes and seven fours, including 30 coming in the 17th over of the hosts’ 223-5 – 6-4-6-4-4-6 off his luckless Australia pace colleague Kane Richardson.

“It’s not going to sink in for a while,” said Abbott. “I’m not sure about people talking about me and Roy in the same breath, but it was a lot of fun.

“Roy’s a hero of mine and hopefully we’ll get to share a beer upstairs and have a chat about it some day.

“It was my first game at The Oval, in front of a home crowd. I haven’t batted that high for a while, so I just thought let’s make the most of it. I had a little bit of luck but, boy, it was a lot of fun. It was a good pitch and I was just happy to spend some time in the middle and really get on with it.

“I was grateful Sammy (Curran) and Batts (coach Gareth Batty) gave me the opportunity to bat in front of two very good power-hitters. But batting records could not have been further from my radar.

“I’ve spent some time in the middle already this year in the red-ball stuff and I was talking with my skipper back home, Moises Henriques, about coming into a lot of games quite close together here.

“I asked Moises how I could improve and contribute. My numbers aren’t great with the bat, I know that, and he was honest with me.

“He told me to keep working on a couple of things and if I get an opportunity, to go out there and do my best. It was nice to get some positive feedback and reassurance from him and it certainly helped.”

Sam Curran said the players involved had witnessed something special in Abbott’s knock.

“It was pretty amazing,” said Curran junior. “I said to him when he was walking off: ‘I don’t think that’s going to happen again!’

“It was just one of those nights where he’s just an unbelievable striker of the ball and that’s what happens in T20 cricket.

“In the position we were in, 64-4, someone had to step up, but to step up and get 100 off 30-odd balls is almost too special.”

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD