Impressive Wells half-century unable to prevent Second XI loss

Sussex Seconds lost their Second XI T20 match by five wickets to Surrey on Monday, despite an impressive half-century from Luke Wells. 

Wells hit 53 off 34 balls at Blackstone, with his innings including four fours and a six, before Scott Borthwick's spin got the better of him and wicket-keeper Jamie Smith took a simple catch. 

Earlier, Surrey skipper Mark Stoneman had won the toss and opted to bowl first under cloudy skies, and Sussex openers Ed Taylor and Tom Haines were dismissed by George Barlow and Conor McKeer. 

Delray Rawlins then came to the crease, just 24 hours after his heroics in the Vitality Blast against Gloucestershire, and began his innings just as he had finished his match-winning display in Bristol. 

Facing his first two balls, Rawlins hit consecutive boundaries, but the batsman was eventually caught behind by Smith for 15 off eight balls to give Barlow his second wicket of the match. 

Harry Finch was the next batsman to fall, going for 14 when Stoneman held on to a sharp catch to earn McKeer another dismissal, but when Wells came to the crease, his resistance stunted a strong Surrey bowling attacking. 

Wells, with help from Anish Kapil, who scored 24 off 20 balls, lifted Sussex's score towards 100, and then alongside Will Beer, the experienced duo led Sussex to 146-7 off 17 overs. 

With the first ball of the following over, Wells was eventually dimissed, but Joe Billings and Elliott Hooper added 19 runs to take Sussex to 166-8 off their 20 overs, with Hooper run-out last ball. 

In reply, a fast start from Stoneman was curtailed when his partner, Usman Khan, was caught by Rawlins off the bowling of Sakande, who was involved soon after when he held on to a catch to dismiss Smith and earn Josh Shaw a wicket. 

Stoneman remained solid at the other end, however, and hit 40 off 26 balls, with six fours and one six before an impressive caught and bowled from Rawlins saw him gone.

A 69-run partnership between Borthwick and Ryan Patel was much-needed for Surrey, but when Wells made the breakthrough to dismiss Borthwick for 28, and Patel was run out for 43 by Finch, the visitors still needed 39 runs off the last four overs.

Nick Welch and Angus Lovell were the men to see Surrey home, hitting 17 and 20 respectively to earn their side victory with one over remaining.