Surrey completed a home and away double over Glamorgan as they defeated the Welsh county by 81 runs after posting a mammoth 238-5 with a record-breaking 18-ball fifty by Sam Curran in their T20 Vitality Blast game at The Oval.
The Welsh county made three changes to their team which defeated Gloucestershire on Sunday afternoon at Cardiff with Cam Fletcher, their newly-signed overseas locum, fellow debutant Will Smale and Andy Gorvin replacing Prem Sisodiya, Andrew Salter and Callum Taylor. But it was the usual pairing of Timm van der Gugten and Jamie McIlroy who took the new ball with Will Jacks and Laurie Evans opening the batting having shared a century stand in the fixture three weeks ago at Cardiff. Evans began with a drive just over the head of mid-wicket before adding a second boundary as he edged a ball high above Sam Northeast at slip.
After a series of singles, Jacks found the ropes as he square-drove Ruaidhri Smith before Evans scythed the seamer to mid-wicket followed by a huge six over deep backward square-leg against van der Gugten . Jacks then saw Surrey to the 50-mark as he slashed the Netherlands international to third man. Evans repeated the stroke against Smith before Jacks launched hom over extra-cover for another muscular four as Surrey ended the powerplays on 64-0.
Peter Hatzoglou broke the stand with his second delivery as Evans edged an expensive drive into Chris Cooke’s gloves as Sunil Narine joined Jacks who continued to find the ropes as he cover drove Gorvin before doing the same to Hatzoglou. Narine then pulled the wrist spinner for six with Jacks adding another maximum as he drilled Gorvin over extra-cover and brought up the Surrey hundred.
Narine then clubbed successive balls from van der Gugten to long-on for a pair of fours, followed by a classical cover drive to the next delivery. Jacks also planted the Dutchman to the fence at backward point for four prior to completing his fifty from 30 balls. Narine then unfurled a laconic cover drive for four against Smith before Jacks drilled Gorvin to long-on and long-off for further fours from successive balls, followed by a huge pull for six over mid-wicket and accompanied by a huge cheer from the Australian supporters at the ground as news came through from Edgbaston of their two-wicket victory.
With the total on 150 Hatzoglou returned and removed Jacks who slashed a ball to van der Gugten at backward point before four balls later having Narine well caught by Smale at long-on. Next over, Overton top-edged a pull against Gorvin as Fletcher completed the catch to give the young all-rounder his maiden T20 wicket. Sam Curran, having been joined by his brother Tom, then cover-drove Gorvin prior to pulling van der Gugten for four and drilling McIlroy over extra-cover for six.
Not to be outdone by sibling rivalry, Tom Curran hooked McIlroy for six followed by another four as he went inside-out over cover. Sam then pulled Hatzoglou for six followed by a slog-sweep for six next ball and a punched drive for four off the back foot through the covers. Tom then plonked Smith over extra-cover for four before Sam flayed McIlroy to long-on and long-off for successive sixes to complete an 18-ball fifty, equalling the record for the fastest fifty against Glamorgan in T20 cricket, set by D’Arcy Short who struck a half-century from 18 balls for Hampshire at The Ageas Bowl in 2021.
A third maximum followed later in the over as he swatted the left-armer over mid-wicket before being bowled off the last ball having added 80 from 33 balls with his brother as Surrey ended on a mammoth 238-5. Sam then opened the bowling to Kiran Carlson and Smale, who by playing at The Oval was emulating his sister Sophia who played at the ground last year for The Oval Invincibles. The debutant began by cover-driving Curran for four before ramping Sean Abbott for four as well as pulling him to fine-leg for four and six.
But next over, Carlson pulled Sam Curran to deep mid-wicket when Tom Lawes, the substitute fielder, completed the catch. Having been joined by Billy Root, Smale pulled the bowler to mid-wicket before doing the same to Gus Atkinson. But next ball he departed as he miscued another pull into the hands of Tom Curran at mid-on. Sam Northeast marked his arrival by cover-driving the young bowler with Root also doing the same to Abbott before Northeast steered Atkinson through the covers as Glamorgan ended the powerplays on 43-2.
Northeast then had a life as he was dropped at third man by Cameron Steel before lofting Chris Jordan for four to see Glamorgan to the 50-mark. But two balls later he edged Jordan into the gloves of debutant wicket-keeper Josh Blake. With Cooke as his new partner, Root upper-cut Atkinson for six before flicking him over square-leg for a second six as the target became 165 from 60 balls. Cooke responded by hitting Narine inside-out over wide long-off for six before Root flat-batted Sam Curran for four. Cooke then drilled Curran for six over deep extra-cover as the hundred came up in the 12th over.
Cooke then survived a stumping chance as he charged Narine but the spinner, two balls later bowled Root as Fletcher made his way to the middle. Cooke responded by swatting Abbott for six and four, followed by a forearm jab for four over cover and a slog-sweep for six. But next over Fletcher miscued a drive against Narine to deep backward point before four runs later Cooke miscued an on-drive and skied a ball to Tom Curran. 132-6 then became 133-7 as van der Gugten gloved a pull against Jordan into Blake’s gloves before Gorvin followed in identical fashion as he also pulled a hook with Jordan ending with figures of 4/21 as Glamorgan ended on 157-8.