Middlesex set a new T20 Blast record for the longest successful run chase to beat Surrey by seven wickets in a thrilling London derby at the Kia Oval.
Surrey posted 252-7 from their 20 overs, with Will Jacks scoring 96 from 45 balls and Laurie Evans 85 from 37 as they put on an opening partnership of 177 in 12.4 overs.
But Middlesex started their chase aggressively, ending the powerplay on 83 not out, and Jack Davies scored the winner with four balls to spare after Stephen Eskinazi’s innings of 73 and Max Holden’s unbeaten 68 .
Middlesex have lost all 10 matches this campaign and 14 in a row, one run from last season, while their match aggregate of 506 runs scored is the third highest in T20 history.
Elsewhere in the South Group, Kent Spitfires recorded their fifth straight win as they registered a seven-wicket victory over Essex and Sussex Sharks cruised to a seven-wicket victory over Gloucestershire.
In the North Group, leaders Birmingham Bears beat Yorkshire Vikings by four runs, with Bears spinner Dan Mousley taking a career-best 4-28, and 2018 champions Worcestershire Rapids extended their hopes of qualification with a five-wicket win over Notts Outlaws.
Fireworks and records in South London
Runs and boundaries were the order of the night in front of over 20,000 spectators south of the Thames, with said Surrey Evans hit nine fours and five sixes in his opening stand with Jacks before being beaten This is Middlesex Max Harris in the 13th over.
On the other hand, Jacks hit eight fours and seven maximums, including five consecutive sixes off one from Luke Hollman.
The England all-rounder had a chance to complete the over with six sixes – but could only score one off the spinner’s last ball, a full toss.
Surrey were 191-2 when Jacks left to start the 15th over but still looked on course to overtake Somerset’s highest T20 Blast score of 265-5.
However, they often lost wickets in the final six overs, with their stalled momentum eventually costing them despite posting their highest T20 total at the Oval.
In reply, Middlesex captain Eskinazi helped put on 90 runs in 6.2 overs in the opening blitz with Joe Cracknell, who made 36 off 16 before being run out by Sam Curran.
Holden then took over with a nerveless 68 not out from 35 balls – adding 105 in 7.4 overs under lights with Ryan Higgins.
Higgins, who batted well amid the onslaught of Surrey’s innings to take 2-40 – his 10 runs per over making him the most economical bowler of the night – played superbly for his 48 off 24 ball
And when he was caught behind by Jordan in the penultimate over, with Middlesex needing 10 runs off seven deliveries, Davies stepped in to take one to keep the strike going in the final over.
The left-hander scooped Gus Atkinson for a six at fine leg and then sliced another low full toss next ball for four to take his side to 254-3 and spark jubilant scenes of delight from the visitors. dugout.
Their batting total is second just behind South Africa’s 259-4 against the West Indies in Centurion in March.
The Bears and Rapids are closing in on the quarter-final spots
Birmingham Bears defended 180 against Vikings in Yorkshire at Headingley to make it four wins on the bounce and stay top of the North Group.
The visitors should have scored more having elected to bat, but they lost regular wickets during the second half of an innings that was eventually held together by Rob Yates, who led the way with 66 off 51 in their total of 180-7.
Yorkshire also made a bright start to their innings, but their recent Achilles heel has been the batsmen failing to build on starts and they slump to 87-5 in the 12th over, with with opener Adam Lyth bowled two overs earlier for a 32-ball 45.
Despite all-rounders Jordan Thompson and Matthew Revis turning the tide and David Wiese’s blistering attack with 20, the Vikings fell short after needing 27 runs from the final over of Henry Brookes.
The Vikings have lost their last three games and realistically need to win their last two games to have a chance to finish in the top four and reach the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, Worcestershire moved to the second in the table, jumped the opponents Notts Outlaws in the process, as the Rapids chased down 140 to win at New Road.
The Outlaws lost Alex Hales for a duck in the second ball of the match, and were restricted to 139-8 after a fine all-round bowling performance by the home side on a pitch where the ball was hard to get.
Opener Brett D’Oliveira made 36 off 27 balls but the Rapids’ chances looked in the balance at 80-5 midway through the 12th over after giving away some cheap wickets. .
However, an unbroken stand between Ed Pollock (38 off 25) and Adam Hose (33 off 31) saw Worcestershire home with nine balls to spare.
Kent made it five in a row
Joe Denly joins James Vince and Luke Wright in passing 5,000 T20 Blast runs after his stunning 32-ball 76 against Essex reigned again Kent Spitfires’ hopes of a last-eight spot.
Denly hit his 39th T20 fifty to move ahead of Wright and sit just behind Vince on the all-time top run-scorers list with 5,050 in the competition.
His ferocious innings, paired with in-form Daniel Bell-Drummond’s fifth fifty of the tournament in a stand of 110, was key to a successful chase of 184 with nine balls to spare and for the loss by just three wickets, with Bell-Drummond finishing. unbeaten in 69.
Essex, despite 52-year-old Dan Lawrence, are in for the second time in a week but remain third in the group.
At Bristol, Ari Karvelas took career-best figures of 4-20 and Harrison Ward hit a brutal maiden T20 half-century as Sussex sharks beat Gloucestershire in one-sided competition.
Karvelas took three wickets in eight balls during the powerplay and Pakistan leg-spinner Shadab Khan took 4-27 during the middle part of the innings as Gloucestershire were bowled out for 140 in 19.2 overs.
Left-hander Ward smashed 51 off 27 balls, with five sixes and two fours, and dominated a match-winning opening partnership of 83 with Tom Clark as the Sharks chased their target of there are 6.4 overs left.
Both sides are unlikely to qualify for the knockout stages, sitting four points behind fourth-placed Hampshire Hawks with three fixtures remaining.
Friday’s T20 Blast fixtures (all 18:30 BST unless otherwise stated)
- Durham v Yorkshire Vikings
- Lancashire Lightning vs Derbyshire Falcons
- Leicestershire Foxes vs Northamptonshire Steelbacks
- Birmingham Bears vs Worcestershire Rapids
- Glamorgan v Sussex Sharks
- Kent Spitfires v Middlesex
- Somerset v Gloucestershire
- Hampshire Hawks v Essex (19:00)
