OLIN REPORT: Surrey progress to finals day after beating Lancs by 13 runs in Vitality Blast

OLIN REPORT: Surrey progress to finals day after beating Lancs by 13 runs in Vitality Blast

Surrey made it to the eighth finals day by inflicting Lancashire’s first home T20 defeat in 22 matches in an entertaining Vitality Blast quarter-final at Emirates Old Trafford.

The visitors posted a total of 187 in five overs, which included half-centuries from Laurie Evans and Jason Royater as they won the toss, and it proved just enough despite 55 from Steven Croft and 42 from Jos Buttler.

A quiet start to the match was enlivened by an eventful quarter from Tom Bailey as Evans scooped twice for six over fine leg before Will Jacks fell for 8 when his attempt at the same shot went straight to Luke Wells at short fine leg.

Evans grabbed another six over long-on as the visitors finished the powerplay in a good position at 58 for one with Roy and Evans hitting the ball well contesting their 50 partnership off 31 balls to reach the midway point of the innings at 93 for one.

Wells, with four overs that cost just 26, and the crucial wicket of Livingstone, who bowled Evans for 70 (41 balls out) with his second ball, helped check the scoreline with Surrey 104 for two in the 12th over.^th over.

Roy swept Livingstone powerfully for six square on his way to a 33-ball fifty before bowling his next ball from Luke Wood to Croft, who ran a difficult catch at mid-off to leave the visitors 140 for three after 15 overs. .

Sam Curran and Jamie Overton quickly raised the score, with Curran making an excellent drop on Dane Vilas’ long drive from Bailey in the 17th 18th.^th over as Overton was run out for 21 as he tried to stay to Buttler in the early 20th over^th over.

A late and, as it turned out, decisive six by Jordan, the visitors’ skipper, helped Surrey reach 187 for five.

It looked to be about level and Lancashire matched Surreys’ good start with a power of 57, but the loss of Phil Salt after the Lightning opener drove Sean Abbott to Jordan, who took a good diving catch at mid-on for 13.

Buttler and Croft were particularly tough on left-arm spinner Dan Moriarty, who played his first T20 match of the season, taking 22 off his two overs in a power play.

Buttler greeted Sunil Narine’s seventh move into the attack by driving the first two deliveries from the West Indian spinner over long-on for six as the 50 partnership arrived from 30 balls with Lancashire well in touch at 94 for one after 10 overs.

Surrey then suffered a major blow when Buttler sliced ​​a drive to Evans off Moriarty to depart for 42 (32 balls) in the 11th over.^th over.

Uncharacteristically stubborn 13^th Jordan, who leaked 12 runs, put Lancashire back on track, but Livingstone then perished for 7 overs, leaving Narine and Overton at midwicket with Lightning 124 for three, needing 58 off 36 balls.

Croft hit a huge six off Abbott over deep square leg to reach 50 32 balls later, but Surrey fought back bowling 18 balls without boundaries as Curran and Jordan put the squeeze on at the crucial moment.

Mitchell, dropped by Overton for 4 at deep mid-wicket, felt the pressure with a six with Curran into the pavilion seats and a straight four to raise the target to 29 from two overs.

It proved to be far too much when three cards fell on the 19th^th over.

Jordan (2-27) got Croft for 55 off the first ball, Wells was run out for 1 two balls later and Vilas perished caught for two after scooping Jordan Curran at fine leg off the fifth ball and Abbott defended easily for 19 off the last ball. .

We met a really good team, admitted Steven Croft.

They were slightly better than us in every aspect of the game, he added.

They batted well and got off to a solid start. We got it back really well, even though we let about ten runs slip in the field.

Likewise with the bat, there were small stretches of the game where we could have squeezed out a few runs here and there, but we came up against a really strong Surrey team.

We thought if we could limit them to about 180 that would be good, it seemed decent.

I thought they bowled really well in it and even halfway through our innings I thought we still had a chance. We had a lot of hooves in the shed that would hopefully pick up speed at the end, but they really got us on the ball.

Credit to their bowlers. It’s an international attack with a lot of experience.

If we could give it another try, tell us to do better with the bat, but give them credit.

Ken Grime