Defeat for Sharks at The Oval

Sussex were unable to inflict a first defeat of the T20 Vitality Blast on Surrey, who remain top of the South group.

Surrey won the toss and put the Sharks in to bat, with recent centurion Tim Seifert opening the batting with skipper Ravi Bopara.

Bopara, opening the batting after Sussex lost Luke Wright to a foot injury, started positively and came within inches of hitting a maximum in the second over only to be caught in spectacular fashion by Will Jacks.

Tom Alsop, fresh from signing a permanent contract with Sussex this week, came to the crease and showed exactly why Ian Salisbury and James Kirtley were so keen to tie him down. Alsop made 38 off 28 deliveries, hitting three fours and two sixes.

Seifert was then bowled by in-form seamer Reece Topley, with Rawlins falling in the next over. Fynn Hudson-Prentice then provided some much-needed stability at a crucial time in the innings.

He and Harrison Ward closed out the Sussex innings, with the latter once again batting positively, making 31 from 23 to help push the Sharks’ total above 140.

Hudson-Prentice went on to bat out the remainder of the Sussex innings in impressive fashion, finishing on 49 not-out as we set the home side a 147 to win.

Surrey’s chase got off to an excellent start as openers Jason Roy and Will Jacks put on a first wicket stand of 110, and it looked as though the hosts would chase down 147 with little incident.

But in-form Obed McCoy once again showed his skill and class, first taking the wicket of Jason Roy, then Sam Curran three balls later.

The Sharks’ attack persisted as they always do and were soon rewarded again as Tymal Mills dismissed Jacks on 57 runs, but it was not enough to prevent the hosts from running out winners on the night by 7 wickets.

The Sharks will need to bounce back once again in the T20 Blast, as they did recently to string three wins together in quick succession, starting with the visit of Gloucestershire on Friday night.