Surrey 199 for 6 (S Curran 68, T Curran 50) beat middlesex 126 (Holden 43, Jack 3-17, Atkinson 3-20) for 73 runs
Jacks, who had made two swashbuckling half-centuries in his last three innings against Middlesex at Lord’s in the format, came striking from ball one and while playing and missing a few, the England man paid a heavy price for a pitch. full of Helm. , bowling it back past the bowler for four.
The teenager Fernandes, thrown on the power play, hit the second ball when pinch hitter Sunil Narine hit him straight to cover, but Jacks sent two drags into the stands from leg bowler Luke Hollman, before a brilliant catch from Helm on the fence in length. -End your revelry.
The Currans’ progress was steady at first, but the 12th down by Ryan Higgins changed the tone as Tom Curran sent the all-rounder everywhere, hitting five straight fours. Not to be outshone, Sam Curran then got loose, denting Fernandes’ excellent figures to that point with straight sixes.
Blake Cullen, back in Middlesex first-team service for the first time in over a year, was rusty and his 11-ball went past, including a waist-high full and four wide that only added to Surrey’s momentum .
The 100 stand came in 56 balls, and we were in the penultimate over when Tom beat a catch back to the grateful bowler Higgins. Sam also left before the end as the South Londoners finished within one of 200.
For Middlesex, much depended on skipper Stephen Eskinazi, but he started for just 1, running after a mix-up from the fourth ball of the innings.
The exciting Joe Cracknell banked a short one from Sean Abbot in the second level of the Mound Stand only to perish trying to repeat the feat, meaning both starters walked away with 27 on the board.
Pieter Malan, back from injury, also found the stands before setting off for Atkinson for a breezy 30, and Jacks then struck twice in his first over, removing the dangerous Higgins, caught in the middle before bowling Hollman around his legs.
Throughout this period, Holden had struck valiantly, hitting two big sixes at a strike rate close to 200, but by the time Narine bowled him for 43, the game was over.