Khushi last-ball six retains Essex last-eight hopes alive
Essex 199 for 7 (Pepper 75, Lawrence 58) beat Surrey 195 for six (Narine 78*) by three wickets
Feroze Khushi hit the final ball of the match for six, regardless of Chris Jordan attempting to flick a catch again to Jamie Overton as he went over the boundary rope, as Essex dramatically gave themselves an opportunity of clinching a Vitality Blast quarter-final place.
Their development was confirmed later within the day when Somerset held off Kent at Taunton, giving additional significance to Khushi’s 35 not out from 26 balls, which ensured they didn’t waste an Essex T20 document stand between Michael Pepper and Dan Lawrence as they chased down Surrey’s 195 for six to win by three wickets in an exciting end.
Khushi and Shane Snater had taken 5 singles from the primary 5 balls of Sean Abbott’s remaining over, to depart Essex needing three to win from the final supply. Khushi swung arduous and excessive, Jordan sprinted spherical from long-on to seize the ball as his momentum took him over the ropes however Surrey’s captain couldn’t throw it again infield for Overton to finish the catch – and Essex celebrated.
Pepper and Lawrence actually deserved to be on the successful aspect, smashing 140 for the second wicket from simply 11 overs in a blitz of boundaries that featured 9 sixes and 11 fours.
Sunil Narine had earlier blasted six sixes and 7 fours in a 38-ball unbeaten 78 however then each Pepper and Lawrence produced hitting of comparable ferocity to attain 75 from 39 balls and 58 off 32 balls respectively.
By the 10-over mark Essex have been completely in management at 130 for 1 as Pepper, who struck 5 sixes and 6 fours, and Lawrence, with 4 sixes and 5 fours, entertained a 15,000 crowd in exhilarating vogue.
Surrey’s bowlers appeared incapable of stopping the carnage, and even West Indies thriller spinner Narine – the most effective T20 bowlers in world cricket – conceded 19 from his first over, the eighth of the innings, as Pepper reverse-swept and straight-drove him for sixes and in addition swept him conventionally for 4.
Lawrence, who has signed to play for Surrey from subsequent April, reached his fifty from 26 balls to Pepper’s 24 and launched Narine for one remaining six from the primary ball of the twelfth over earlier than falling two balls later to a catch at long-off.
But Pepper fell attacking Jordan within the subsequent over, and Surrey fought again as Paul Walter, Matt Critchley – brilliantly run out by Jason Roy – Daniel Sams, who did swing Sam Curran for six, and Simon Harmer all fell cheaply whereas Khushi stored chipping away on the runs required. Twenty off three overs lastly turned eight off the final over – and the 24-year-old Khushi, on the final, prevailed.
Narine additionally struck seven fours in his personal very good exhibition of fresh hitting whereas Roy made 28 from 24 balls on his return to motion after nearly two months on the sidelines with a calf harm.
Surrey have been 57 for two after the six-over powerplay, after Essex had chosen to subject, with Roy clubbing Sam Cook for a six and two fours – the primary a unprecedented scoop previous quick effective leg – within the fifth over.
Laurie Evans went cheaply, flicking Aaron Beard to deep sq. leg, however Will Jacks drove the identical bowler excessive and extensive of mid-off for 4 and pulled him for six earlier than being yorked by Cook for 23.
Sam Curran fell to Harmer for less than 3 however Narine warmed to his process by smearing the offspinner over the deep midwicket ropes after which lofting Snater straight for one more six.
Overton took two sixes in an over off Sams throughout a quickfire 23, earlier than being caught within the deep, and Narine went on his merry means by thumping Walter’s left-arm seamers straight into the Pavilion after which over extensive long-on into the Bedser Stand.
Narine completed the innings in type by hitting Sams over the long-on boundary after which clipping the final ball of the twentieth over off his stumps to the effective leg ropes.
Essex’s reply started badly with Adam Rossington mishitting Sam Curran to mid-on however the England allrounder’s subsequent over, the third of the innings, went for a exceptional 31 runs as Pepper started and ended it with sixes and took two fours moreover. With a large, two free hit no-balls and a Lawrence boundary thrown in, the Eagles have been instantly 41 for 1 after simply three overs and flying.
Gus Atkinson was then struck for 2 straight sixes by Lawrence, the second of them from a full toss no ball, as each he and Pepper did as they happy with the Surrey assault.