MATCH REPORT: Surrey squeeze through to Finals Day after defeating Lancs by 13 runs in Vitality Blast
Surrey made it through to their eighth Finals Day after 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 187 for five that included half centuries by Laurie Evans and Jason Roy after winning the toss, and that proved to be just enough despite 55 from Steven Croft and 42 from Jos Buttler.
A quiet start to the match was enlivened by an eventful fourth over from Tom Bailey with Evans twice scooping for six over fine leg before Will Jacks fell for 8 after his attempt at the same shot went straight to Luke Wells at short fine leg.
Evans clubbed another six over long-on as the visitors ended the powerplay well placed at 58 for one with Roy and Evans striking the ball well in racing to their fifty partnership off 31 balls to reach the halfway stage of the innings on 93 for one.
Wells, with four overs that cost only 26, and an important wicket by Livingstone who bowled Evans for 70 (off 41 balls) with his second ball, helped check the scoring rate with Surrey 104 for two in the 12th over.
Roy swept Livingstone powerfully for six over square leg on his way to a 33-ball fifty before skying his next ball from Luke Wood to Croft who took a difficult catch running back at mid-off to leave the visitors on 140 for three after 15 overs.
Sam Curran and Jamie Overton pushed the score along quickly with Curran falling to an excellent tumbling catch at long-off by Dane Vilas off Bailey for 17 in the 18th over while Overton was run out for 21 attempting to run a bye to Buttler at the start of the 20th over.
A late, and as it turned out, crucial six by the visitors skipper Jordan helped Surrey reach 187 for five.
That looked to be around par and Lancashire matched Surrey’s good start taking 57 off the powerplay but losing Phil Salt after the Lightning opener drove Sean Abbott to Jordan, who took a good diving catch at mid-off, for 13.
Buttler and Croft were particularly severe on left arm spinner Dan Moriarty, playing his first T20 match of the season, taking 22 off his two overs in the powerplay.
Buttler greeted the seventh over introduction of Sunil Narine into the attack by driving the first two deliveries from the West Indies 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 landed a big blow when Buttler sliced a drive to Evans at point off Moriarty to depart for 42 (off 32 balls) in the 11th over.
An uncharacteristically wayward 13th over from Jordan that leaked 12 runs put Lancashire back on course, but Livingstone then perished for 7 top edging a pull off Narine to Overton at midwicket with the Lightning 124 for three needing 58 off 36 balls.
Croft swung a huge six off Abbott over deep square leg, reaching his fifty off 32 balls moments later, but Surrey fought back by bowling 18 balls without a boundary as Curran and Jordan put the squeeze on at a crucial moment.
Mitchell, dropped on 4 at deep midwicket by Overton, relived the pressure with a six off Curran into the pavilion seats and a straight driven four to bring the target down to 29 off two overs.
That proved to be just too many as three wickets fell in the 19th over.
Jordan (2-27) yorked Croft for 55 from the first ball, Wells was run out for 1 two balls later and Vilas perished for 2 caught scooping Jordan to Curran at fine leg from the fifth ball and Abbott easily defended 19 from the last over.
“We came up against a really good team,” admitted Steven Croft.
“They were slightly better than us in every facet of the game,” he added.
“They batted well up top and got off to a solid start. We clawed it back really well although we let ten runs or so slip in the field.
“Similarly with the bat there were little periods in the game where we could have squeezed a few more runs here and there, but we came up against a really strong Surrey side.”
“We felt if we could restrict them to around 180 that would be good, it seemed a decent pitch.
“I thought they bowled really well on it, and even halfway through our innings I thought we were still in with a chance. We had plenty of wickets in the shed to hopefully accelerate at the end but they out did us with the ball really.
“Credit to their bowlers. It’s an international attack with a lot of experience.
“If we could have another go, I’d back us to do better with the bat, but credit where it’s due to them.”
Ken Grime
