T20 Blast: Surrey seal home quarter-final, Vince stars for Hawks

Surrey became the second team to secure their place in the quarter-finals of the T20 Vitality Blast with a 67-run victory over South Group leaders Somerset at The Kia Oval.

The Londoners’ third white-ball win in five days means they are now 14 points clear of fifth-placed Sussex, who lost at Hampshire, and will be at home in the last eight.

The Hawks all but secured their place in the final eight thanks largely to James Vince’s 98 not out as they chased down the Sharks’ 167-7 with 16 balls to spare.

Glamorgan’s hopes of making this season’s final eight were dealt a blow with a 40-run home defeat to 2024 winners Gloucestershire, while Kent jumped into fourth place with a victory against Middlesex in Canterbury.

In North Group, Lancashire bounced back from Friday’s Roses derby defeat by edging out Durham in a low-scoring thriller at Emirates Old Trafford to leapfrog their opponents and go top of the table.

Elsewhere, Northants strengthened their grip on a top-four finish with a terrific 64-run victory at Bears, Matthew Breetzke making 85, while Worcestershire eased to victory against Leicestershire and Derbyshire thrashed Yorkshire by eight wickets at Headingley. as Wayne Madsen hit an unbeaten 51 off 28 balls.

At a sun-kissed Kia Oval, Surrey opener Will Jacks responded well after being hit on the elbow early to top score with 57, and Jason Roy and Dan Lawrence (both 32) provided important knocks as the hosts totalled 201-7 against Somerset.

Returning Jack Leach claimed 2-42 and Lewis Goldsworthy ended with 2-39 but group leaders Somerset could not back up their victory on Friday at Kent with an away double.

Up against it, they lost Tom Lammonby early when he was bowled by Reece Topley (3-20) and when Sean Dickson was caught and bowled by Jamie Overton their hopes looked to be gone, eventually ending 67 runs short.

Hampshire came out on top by six wickets against Sussex after all-rounder James Fuller claimed 3-16 in the Sharks’ innings.

Vince’s wonderful knock, featuring three sixes and 12 fours, aided by Joe Weatherley’s 43 off 29 balls, means they can secure their passage to the knockout stage with a win at bottom club Essex on Thursday.

Hampshire’s cause was helped further by Glamorgan’s loss to Gloucestershire at Sophia Gardens.

A fourth-wicket partnership of 69 between Ben Charlesworth (55) and captain Jack Taylor (39) was vital as the visitors finished on 175-6.

The Welsh club started the powerplay brightly but lost their way following the loss of opener Will Smale for 43, leaving them 66-4, and South African Marchant de Lange (4-20) and swing bowler David Payne finished off the tail as they were all out for 135.

Meanwhile, Kent chased down a target of 161 against Middlesex in front of their own fans in Canterbury.

Fred Klassen picked up three wickets for the home side as Middlesex captain Leus du Plooy (68) top-scored on his side’s way to 160-5.

A decisive performance with bat and ball from Chris Green helped Lancashire defeat Durham in a top of the table clash in Manchester.

Figures of 3-15 off his four overs from the Australian all-rounder helped restrict Durham to 156-7, with Colin Ackerman top scoring for the visitors with 42.

The Red Rose started the powerplay strongly with opener Keaton Jennings making 42 but when he fell with the score on 107-4, the hosts wobbled and then lost Michael Jones and Jack Blatherwick without scoring.

However, Green’s assured cameo settled home fans nerves and his second six of his innings meant he ended on 31 not out as the Red Rose reached 156-7 and went top – they could confirm their final eight spot with a victory at Yorkshire next week.

Worcestershire leapfrogged Leicestershire with a six-wicket win at New Road.

The Foxes won the toss and elected to bat first but were 5-2 in the second over following the early dismissals of Rishi Patel and Shan Masood.

Ben Cox (70 not out off 44 balls) steadied the ship and they reached the end of the innings with 173-6 on the board.

Worcestershire got off to a flier in their reply, reaching 50-0 in the fifth over and Ethan Brookes’ 56 not out off just 28 balls, which included five sixes, helped the hosts secure a comfortable victory on 176-4 with 13 balls still remaining.

Northamptonshire went up to second in the North Group with an impressive victory against fellow quarter-final hopefuls Bears.

On a batter-friendly pitch at Edgbaston, Breetzke backed up his superb 93 against Derbyshire on Friday with a dazzling 40-ball knock containing six sixes, to help the Steelbacks post 240-6.

In reply, Bears lost Alex Davies and Dan Mousley early on and despite Sam Hain’s 50 off 29 balls providing some resistance, the hosts were bowled out still 65 runs short of their target.

In the day’s other game, Derbyshire dismantled Yorkshire at Headingley in a clash between the North Group’s bottom two clubs.

A five-wicket haul from seamer Ben Aitchison, 2-36 from Zak Chappell and 2-5 from Mohammad Ghazanfar, who sent down 20 dot balls, saw the White Rose limited to 151-9, Dom Bess top scoring with 53.

Yorkshire opener Jonny Bairstow followed his century on Friday with a five-ball duck, bowled by 19-year-old Afghan off-spinner Ghazanfar.

Chester-le-Street: Durham v Leicestershire Foxes