Sam and Tom Curran thrash fifties as Surrey thrash Middlesex
Surrey 199 for six (S Curran 68, T Curran 50) beat Middlesex 126 (Holden 43, Jack 3-17, Atkinson 3-20) by 73 runs
Sam, who’d hot-footed it again to London from an underwhelming stint on the IPL with Punjab Kings, took out his frustration on the Seaxes with 68 off 47 balls, together with two massive sixes in Surrey’s complete of 199 for six. Tom, enjoying today beneath a white-ball solely contract, was if something much more belligerent with 50 off 33 balls with eight fours because the siblings added 118 in 11 overs. Will Jacks earlier blasted a quickfire 43.
Three wickets within the remaining over for Tom Helm gave him 3 for 38, whereas left-arm spinner Nathan Fernandes took 1 for 27 from three overs on debut.
Jacks then starred with ball in hand, returning 3 for 17, backed up by Gus Atkinson‘s 3 for 20 because the hosts might solely muster 126 in reply regardless of some defiant placing by Max Holden who high scored with 43.
Jacks, who had made two swashbuckling half-centuries in his final three innings in opposition to Middlesex at Lord’s within the format, got here out swinging from ball one and whereas he performed and missed at just a few the England man took heavy toll of a full toss from Helm, belting it again previous the bowler for 4.
Teenager Fernandes, thrown on within the powerplay, struck second ball when pinch-hitter Sunil Narine hit him straight to cowl, however Jacks despatched two drag-downs from legspinner Luke Hollman into the stands, earlier than an excellent catch by Helm on the fence at long-on ended his revelry.
The Currans’ progress was regular initially, however the twelfth over bowled by Ryan Higgins modified the complexion as Tom Curran dispatched the allrounder to all elements, hitting 5 fours in succession. Not to be upstaged Sam Curran then reduce free, denting Fernandes’s glorious figures to that time with consecutive sixes.
Blake Cullen, again on Middlesex first-team responsibility for the primary time in additional than a 12 months, was rusty and his 11-ball over, together with a waist-high full toss and 4 wides solely added to Surrey’s momentum.
The 100-stand got here in 56 balls, and we had been within the penultimate over by the point Tom top-edged a steepling catch again to grateful bowler Higgins. Sam, too, left earlier than the top because the south Londoners completed one shy of 200.
For Middlesex a lot relied on skipper Stephen Eskinazi, however he departed for simply 1, run out following a mix-up from the fourth ball of the innings.
The thrilling Joe Cracknell deposited a brief one from Sean Abbot into the second tier of the Mound Stand solely to perish making an attempt to repeat the feat which means each openers had been gone with 27 on the board.
Pieter Malan, again from harm, additionally discovered the stands earlier than departing to Atkinson for a breezy 30, and Jacks then struck twice in his first over, eradicating the harmful Higgins, caught at mid-off earlier than bowling Hollman spherical his legs.
Throughout this era Holden had hit bravely, smiting two massive sixes at a strike price approaching 200, however when Narine bowled him for 43 the sport was up.