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Revenge for Surrey at the Kia Oval

MATCH CENTRE

Surrey gained revenge for their Vitality Blast semi-final elimination at the hands of Somerset last summer by clinching a 57-run victory over the defending champions at the Kia Oval this evening.

Jamie Smith’s impressive 87 from 38 balls laid the foundations for for the host’s Surrey’s third straight Vitality Blast win  as he struck his second successive Blast half-century, sharing a partnership of 111 from 56 with Ollie Pope prior to an astonishing collapse triggered by Somerset’s Ben Green (four for 32).

Green – who took three wickets to help seal Somerset’s semi-final success en route to the 2023 title – claimed three in a single over at the Kia Oval as the home side lost their last six for 11 runs and slumped to 163 all out.

However, Somerset failed to build partnerships in response, with Sean Abbott and Tom Curran taking three wickets apiece as the defending champions were dismissed for 106 in the 16th over.

Surrey made a spluttering start after being inserted, with only seven on the board when opening pair Laurie Evans and Dan Lawrence were both caught in the deep by Tom Lammonby. Jason Roy soon followed them, swatting Riley Meredith to the midwicket fence and trying to repeat the stroke next ball, with Lammonby pouching the top edge to complete his third catch.

Smith then took it upon himself to take control, heaving Craig Overton for the first of his seven sixes and combining power with clean striking of the ball as he launched a ruthless assault on the Somerset attack.

Pope was able to build at a more relaxed pace while his partner raced to a half-century from 22 balls, drilling Roelof van der Merwe for another maximum and Surrey looked strongly placed at 139 for three with seven overs left.

However, van der Merwe began the Somerset fightback by bowling Pope (40 from 32) before Green captured three wickets in the space of five balls, including a slow yorker to end Smith’s hopes of a maiden T20 century.

Meredith (three for 34) uprooted Abbott’s off stump before Jake Ball bowled last man Spencer Johnson to round off Surrey’s collapse with six deliveries still unused.

However, Australian left-armer Spencer Johnson boosted his side’s hopes with three tight overs at the start of Somerset’s reply – including the wickets of both Tom Banton, caught down the leg side and Will Smeed, who hit 20 from 12 before dragging onto his off stump.

Tom Abell also departed, caught at long on off Abbott, but Tom Kohler-Cadmore launched Gus Atkinson for successive sixes – the second of them a top-edged hook that was coolly plucked out of the air by a steward at the Vauxhall End.

Looking dangerous with 25 from just 10 balls, Kohler-Cadmore’s innings was abruptly ended by Abbott’s pinpoint throw from the leg side to run him out with a direct hit almost parallel to the stumps at the bowler’s end.

Surrey continued to take wickets at regular intervals, with Abbott recording three for eight in his eight overs and Curran, who sealed victory by having Ball caught at mid-on, finishing with three for 16.