Surrey gear up for Middlesex derby with seven-wicket mauling of Sussex Sharks

Will Jacks and Jason Roy both hit sparkling half-centuries as Surrey stretched their unbeaten start to this summer’s Vitality Blast to six matches, by crushing Sussex Sharks by seven wickets at the Kia Oval last night.

Surrey take on Middlesex in the London derby at Lord’s tonight.

Jacks raced to a 15-ball 50 – the fastest ever in T20 cricket for Surrey – in the corresponding fixture last summer.

“That was a great performance all-round [against Sussex] tonight,” said Jacks. “We wanted to keep up our momentum in this competition and continue our run of form.

“Now we have a big game against Middlesex at Lord’s and it will be important for us to keep it going against them.”

An Oval crowd of 15,000 witnessed Jacks add a 37-ball 57 to an earlier wicket and an astonishing boundary catch as Surrey easily chased down Sussex’s 146-7, in which Fynn Hudson-Prentice top-scored for the visitors with 49 not out in 44 deliveries.

Jacks and Roy (50) reeled off a stream of magnificent and powerful strokes in an opening partnership of 110 off just 12.3 overs as the Sharks’ attack were dismantled in ruthless fashion.

Both hit sixes as Delray Rawlins’s left-arm spin was plundered for 19 in the first over of the hosts’ reply, and Jacks then extra cover drove and swung Tymal Mills for four and six in a third over costing 18.

“Jason [Roy] and myself feed off each other at the top of the order but this was our first stand above 100 this season so it was really good fun,” said Jacks.

“The catch I took on the boundary was also a great moment, in front of a big crowd. I sort of misjudged it initially, but then managed to stick up a hand to get it and also keep my balance so I didn’t touch the rope.”

Sunil Narine was, again, the pick of the South Londoners’ attack. Remarkably, the former West Indies mystery spinner has only conceded three boundaries in the 20 overs he has so far sent down in this season’s domestic T20.

But his skipper, Chris Jordan, also got in on the act by delivering a double-wicket maiden that saw the back of Harrison Ward and Oli Carter.

Pictures : Keith Gillard