Surrey team | Gareth Batty (C), Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Jade Dernbach, Aaron Finch, Stuart Meaker, Kevin Pietersen, Ollie Pope, Jason Roy, Kumar Sangakkara (WK), Dom Sibley
Essex Eagles team | Dan Lawrence, Varun Chopra, Tom Westley, Ravi Bopara, Adam Wheater, Ryan ten Doeschate (C), Ashar Zaidi, James Foster (WK), Paul Walter, Simon Harmer, Mohammad Amir
Umpires | RJ Evans and SJ O’Shaughnessy
Toss | Essex Eagles won the toss and elected to field
Result | Surrey win by 10 runs
Match Report:
Defeat for the Eagles as Surrey recorded victory by 10 runs in the NatWest T20 Blast clash at the Kia Oval on Wednesday night in front of a 23,000 crowd.
Skipper Ryan ten Doeschate made a brave attempt to see his side across the line hitting an unbeaten 27 but when the final over arrived, 19 runs were still required with four wickets intact and that proved too much for an Essex side who have now lost four of their 5 matches in this year’s tournament.
Essex finished on 140 for 7.
The hosts had been restricted to 150 for 9 having been put into bat and Essex openers Dan Lawrence and Varun Chopra reduced the target by 47 runs before they were parted when Chopra was dismissed for 27 and two overs later, Lawrence followed him back to the dug-out having scored 24.
Tom Westley (17) and Adam Wheater (0), playing his first match in this year’s contribution, fell to successive Gareth Batty deliveries to leave the total on 80 for 4in the 12th over.
Ravi Bopara once again looked in imposing form but having reached 24, he was caught in the deep bringing an end a 27 runs stand with Ryan ten Doeschate spanning 4 overs and leaving the Eagles requiring 44 runs from the final 4 overs.
Ashar Zaidi was bowled for 8 with the total on 121 in the 18th over.
Earlier Kevin Pietersen had scored 52 on his Surrey comeback but there was no meaningful support for the former England batsman as the Eagles attack generally proved too canny for their opponents. Paul Walter ended with 3 for 24 including the wicket of Pietersen whilst Mohammad Amir conceded just 13 runs from his four overs and claimed the wickets of openers Aaron Finch and Jason Roy.
Full report to follow…
Interval Report:
Surrey who reached 150 for 9 at the close of their innings in the NatWest Blast T20 clash with Essex Eagles at the Kia Oval.
The former England batsman, Kevin Pietersen faced 35 balls and struck 5 sixes including four in one over from Simon Harmer that cost 26 runs but his innings of 52 was ended by Paul Walter who had him caught by Tom Westley at long on.
The fall of his wicket left the home side, who had been put into bat, on 122 for 6 in the 16th over with bowler Walter also picking up the wickets of Ollie Pope and Sam Curran either side of Pietersen’s demise but the visitors kept a grip on the latter proceedings to restrict Surrey to a modest total.
Although Walter proved chief wicket-taker with 3 for 24, the pick of the Eagles attack was Mohammad Amir.
Surrey openers Aaron Finch and Jason Roy had set the innings alight with a stand of 40 after 4 overs but the Pakistan paceman ended their fun removing both in the space of five balls.
Despite the whirlwind start, they had only managed to take 4 runs off Amir when he sent down the second over of the innings and his next – which accounted for the duo – cost just a single.
Roy hit his wicket when he stepped back and departed for 15 whilst the dangerous Finch edged the ball to wicket-keeper James Foster to end an innings of 21 that included three fours and one six.
Amir ended with the superb figures of 2 for 13 from his 4 overs as Surrey struggled to find support for Pitersen who did enjoy one moment of good fortune when he was dropped in the deep by Dan Lawrence off Ashar Zaidi when he had scored 12.
