Surrey v Essex Eagles
Vitality Blast
The Kia Oval
Team News:
Surrey: Hashim Amla, Will Jacks, Ben Geddes, Rory Burns, Jamie Smith (wk), Jordan Clark, Jamie Overton, Rikki Clarke, Jade Dernbach, Gareth Batty (c), Daniel Moriarty.
Essex Eagles: Will Buttleman, Adam Wheater (wk), Dan Lawrence, Michael Pepper, Jimmy Neesham, Ryan ten Doeschate, Paul Walter, Simon Harmer (c), Shane Snater, Aron Nijjar, Sam Cook.
Match Details:
Umpires: Nigel Llong & Billy Taylor,
Toss: Essex Eagles, who elected to field.
Result: Essex Eagles won by 8 wickets
Match Highlights:
Match Reaction: Anthony McGrath
Match Report:
Sam Cook and Will Buttleman recorded career-best T20 figures to put Essex back on the winning trail as they beat Surrey by 8 wickets at The Kia Oval on Monday night.
Cook returned figures of 4/15 from 3.4 overs as Surrey were bowled out for 118 and then opener Buttleman posted an unbeaten 56 out of 119-2 as the Eagles crossed the winning line with 9 balls to spare.
Essex made one change from the team beaten by Kent Spitfires the previous day with Shane Snater replacing Jack Plom.
Surrey came into the game with an unbeaten record of 3 wins and 2 no-results whilst their opponents were smarting from 4 defeats after their opening victory at Taunton although they did also collect a point from Friday’s washed-out fixture with Gloucestershire at Chelmsford.
The match was delayed by an hour following rain that fell for much of the day. The game was reduced to 17 overs per side, powerplay restricted to 5.1 overs, 2 bowlers able to bowl full allocation of 4 overs and 3 able to bowl a maximum of 3.
Cook, grabbed the wickets of Rory Burns, Jamie Smith, Gareth Batty and Jade Dernbach whilst Aron Nijjar and Dan Lawrence shared 4 wickets.
The latter pair both struck with their first deliveries of the match, Nijjar having Hashim Amla caught in the covers without score whilst Will Jacks was caught at deep mid-wicket for 3 to leave the home side 6-2 after 7 balls.
With the score having advanced to 29, Cook struck for the first time when Jamie Smith was bowled for 20 by a superb delivery that was angled into him. Then in his next over, Cook claimed Burns for 2 when he pulled a ball to Ryan ten Doeschate at mid-wicket to leave Surrey 39-4 at the end of the powerplay.
Although Jordan Clark and debutant Ben Geddes combined for the highest stand of the innings, their 38 runs alliance was broken by Nijjar who had Geddes stumped for 28.
Snater removed top-scorer Clark for 30 to leave the hosts 93-7, Simon Harmer trapped Rikki Clarke in front of his stumps for 20 leaving Cook to polish off the last 2 wickets.
Buttleman and Wheater got the Eagles off to a flying start reaching 48 at the end of the powerplay before Wheater was caught for 30 with the total on 67 at the end of the eighth over.
Lawrence stepped across the line and was bowled for 11 but the excellent Buttleman and Pepper played sensibly. Hitting the ball powerfully and with fine placement, Buttleman arrived at his half-century from 45 balls with 1 six and 6 fours.
Pepper was 15 not out as the pair combined for an unbroken 32 run stand in 3.5 overs with the winning runs courtesy of the fourth wide in a Clark over.
