Middlesex swept aside by Surrey in T20 Blast

Vitality Blast: Surrey 134-2 beat Middlesex 130-7 by eight wickets.

Ollie Pope struck a half-century as Surrey coasted past Middlesex in a one-sided T20 Blast South Group derby at the Kia Oval.

Pope, who finished unbeaten on 51 from 33 balls, shared a second-wicket stand of 74 from 44 with Jason Roy (46 from 31) as they made short work of the chase to get Surrey’s T20 campaign back on track following successive defeats.

Earlier, Surrey’s seamers always looked on top and restricted their city rivals to a modest 130 for seven, with Reece Topley (one for 21) and Sean Abbott (two for 16) the pick of the bunch.

Middlesex all-rounder Luke Hollman (pictured), with an unbeaten 31 from 29, top-scored in a losing cause for the second successive game as Surrey triumphed for the 12th time in 14 Blast meetings between the sides.

Although the forecast rain never actually materialised, Sam Curran put the visitors in after winning the toss and was rewarded as his bowlers gave little away, reducing Middlesex to 54 for five.

Max Holden was bowled by Jordan Clark and, although Adam Rossington (20 for 17) cleared the fence twice in the powerplay before miscuing Topley to mid-on, his wicket was the first of four to fall in 25 balls.

Former Surrey batter Ben Geddes – having made a duck on his return to the ground in last year’s Blast – was run out for a single this time, while Josh de Caires was unlucky to drag a pull off Abbott onto his stumps.

With Leus du Plooy skying Clark (two for 31) to mid-on, Middlesex’s prospects of posting a competitive score looked forlorn, despite a valiant partnership of 47 from 39 by Hollman and Ryan Higgins (27 from 29).

Riding his luck at times, Hollman landed some valuable blows and, although Sebastian Morgan thumped Tom Curran’s final ball over cover for four, the visitors’ total never looked remotely adequate.

Will Jacks, having survived a low caught and bowled chance to Noah Cornwell in the first over, provided a solid base with 24 from 17 before Tom Helm (one for 25) nipped one back to hit the top of the stumps.

But Roy dabbed Eathan Bosch to the third man boundary to take Surrey past 50 at the end of the powerplay and, with an absence of scoreboard pressure, he and Pope were able to be selective with their shots.

Roy missed out on a first half-century of the tournament, spearing Cornwell to mid-on, but Pope stepped up a gear as he dispatched Morgan for two leg-side sixes before slamming a four to reach his 50 and simultaneously clinch victory.