Sharks vs Surrey: Match report

Surrey beat Sussex Sharks by 124 runs as they set a Club record score of 258 runs for 6 wickets at The 1st Central County Ground under the lights.

It was the fourth highest by any side - beating their 250-6 against Kent in 2018.  

The Sussex bowlers had no chance as Surrey replicated their form of two days before, when they piled up 236 against Glamorgan.  And once again it was Laurie Evans (93) and Sam Curran (68) who created most of the mayhem, with a second wicket stand of 157, the highest for any wicket against Sussex.

Surrey, one of the strongest sides in the competition, have lost just twice in eight outings – and one of those defeats, came against Sussex at The Oval last month.

Sussex had gone into the match fresh from their thrilling 4-run victory at Lord’s the previous evening, but still knowing they had to win virtually all their remaining fixtures to progress in the competition.

They got off to an encouraging start when Nathan McAndrew bowled Will Jacks with the last delivery of the opening over. 

After ten overs Surrey were 107 for one (they were 107 without loss at the same stage against Glamorgan). Evans reached his fifty off just 28 deliveries when he pulled Henry Crocombe to cow corner for six.

The 150 came up off the last ball of the 13th over, as Evans square-drove McAndrew for four.  Curran was finally out at 163 when he edged Tymal Mills to short third man.  He had hit six fours and four sixes, two in succession over wide mid-on.

Evans looked destined for his second hundred in three days but he was caught at wide mid-on by James Coles off the bowling of Crocombe.

But for Surrey there was no loss of impetus as Jamie Overton thumped 24 runs off 11 balls and Tom Curran 29 off nine, with three sixes and two fours.  

Sussex needed 13 runs an over and their task looked extremely difficult, especially when they lost James Coles, in just the second over. 

But after five overs they were 54 for one, and ahead of where Surrey had been at that stage.  But then the impressive Tom Clark was stumped for a 23-ball 43. 

The Sussex batsmen had to keep swinging in pursuit of their improbable target and, inevitably, the wickets tumbled as the required run rate soared to 20 an over. They were all out for 134 in the 15th over and after Clark, Tom Alsop and Danial Ibrahim tied for the second best score, 17.

Report provided by the ECB Reporter's Network