Will Jacks struck a swift unbeaten 45 as Surrey motored to a comfortable eight-wicket victory over neighbours Middlesex inside an hour on the final morning, bagging 22 important points in the process.
The LV= Insurance County Championship front-runners needed only 11.1 overs to chase down a modest target of 78, completing their second derby success of the season and a first red-ball win at Lord’s for 26 years.
With rain forecast for later in the day, Surrey were keen to secure the result as quickly as possible after bowling their hosts out for 272, with seamer Sean Abbott returning figures of four for 60.
Middlesex, who remain second from bottom in Division One, have now lost four of their last five Championship fixtures.
Abbott took only two deliveries to finish off Middlesex’s second innings when play resumed, banging it in short to last batter Tim Murtagh, who could only fend it off into the slip cordon and Dom Sibley took the catch.
That left Ethan Bamber stranded on a career-best 46 not out and Surrey with 78 to score – just five more than the target they chased to complete a nine-wicket victory against their neighbours at The Kia Oval in May.
First-innings centurion Jamie Smith was promoted to begin the chase with Rory Burns, but he lasted just two balls on this occasion before clipping Tom Helm tamely into the hands of midwicket.
Helm picked up a second wicket, his eighth of the match, when Burns attempted a paddle from outside off stump that was neatly taken by Murtagh at long leg, but Jacks maintained momentum by clouting Bamber over the cover boundary.
Tom Latham also struck a maximum off Helm before hitting the winning runs off Mark Stoneman to finish unbeaten on 21.
“Pretty clinical over the three and a bit days!”
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) July 22, 2023
Rory Burns spoke to BBC London’s @backandacross after Surrey’s eight wicket victory over Middlesex at Lord’s.
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