Surrey 188-5
Hampshire: 183 all out (20)
By Jon Batham
SAM Curran’s career-best unbeaten 102 saw South Group leaders Surrey to a five-wicket win over eliminated Hampshire to guarantee themselves a home quarter-final.
The England all-rounder clubbed 6 6s and 7 4s in a stay of 58 balls, reaching his century with the winning hit, as the hosts chased down a target of 184 with 5 balls to spare.
Curran caught off a no-ball on 44, shared stands of 86 with Dominic Sibley (27) and 54 with Jamie Overton (21). John Turner returned 2-30 for the visitors.
Hampshire’s 183 was built around a career-best 66 from Toby Albert, his first half-century in the format. Jordan Clark’s 3-24 kept the target within bounds while there were also two wickets for Matt Dunn in his first game, other than One-Day Cup appearances, for three years.
The 2022 winners Hampshire, already out of this year’s Blast, adopted an aggressive approach after being put it, but Albert apart, couldn’t capitalize on positive starts.
Australian Ben McDermott, hit Dunn for the game’s first six, only to find the hands of Jamie Overton on the boundary later in the over.
Dunn also accounted for Tom Prest, while James Vince threatened briefly with five boundaries including a majestic six off Curran before being undone by a beauty from Clark which jagged back and crashed into his stumps. When Joe Weatherley perished early the Hawks were 65-4.
Albert had begun explosively, twice clearing the ropes to race to 30. Benny Howell however continued the trend of a big hit and out, and James Fuller was the second batter castled by Clark, playing around a straight one.
Liam Dawson sparkled momentarily until sacrificing himself after a mix-up in running and it needed a cool head coupled with late acceleration from Albert to get Hampshire to a creditable 183.
Deprived of their two leading scorers in the competition this season, Ollie Pope and Jamie Smith away on Test duty, the hosts needed others to stick their hand up for the chase
Will Jacks smote the first ball from Brad Wheal for six, but the bowler’s revenge was swift as he holed out to the next delivery and Wheal struck again in his following over to remove Laurie Evans.
John Turner cranked up the pressure on the home batters with two hostile overs, but it was England U19 Eddie Jack who removed Rory Burns courtesy of a stunning catch by Prest, leaving Surrey floundering at 27-3.
Curran though started belligerently, planting Dawson over wide mid mid-on for six and having got the taste, hit Howell for successive maximums in the following over.
Drama followed with Turner holding on to a steepling top edge only for the umpire to signal no-ball for a second bouncer in the over, Fuller the bowler out of luck.
Reprieved Curran survived the loss of Dominic Sibley to reach 50 in 34 balls, before surpassing his previous career-best in the format helped by a fourth six.
Jamie Overton caught the mood with successive sixes of Jack and though he departed before the end, Curran’s pyrotechnics saw Surrey home.
“It was a new-ball wicket,” Curran said. “We saw Hampshire lose a few wickets there too. Most importantly I knew I had to give myself a chance, batting with one of my best mates Dominic Sibley. It is great to see him playing in the T20 stuff and doing really well.
“We consolidated and I knew if you get yourself in the ball travels really nicely here and it was a really good pitch.
“I thought we played the spin really well and I felt if we kept the rate at 10 an over we would be in with a shout.
Jamie Overton came in and hot some nice balls which took the pressure off me.
On the no ball which reprieved him on 44, Curran added: “It was the second bouncer in the over. I definitely thought it was one.
“Hampshire weren’t happy with it but if you look back at the replay it was definitely another no-ball.
“Maybe it is a rule they should bring in like the IPL but the umpire made the call and we crack on.”
Hampshire’s Albert said: “It has been a tough campaign and the boys have tried the whole way through. you can’t fault anyone’s effort, it just hasn’t been our tournament.
“183 was probably a tiny bit below par normally on here, but we lost wickets early, so did quite well to get to that in the end.
“I was in earlier than I would have liked. It was about trying to make a partnership, but we kept losing wickets at the time we were going to go which probably delayed us pushing on and we got bowled out in the end which you can’t afford to do in T20.
“We got early wickets. The boys bowled really well up top. You are never confident but you are always hoping that early wickets would stem the runs. But Sam came out and he played brilliantly.”
