A stunning six-wicket haul from Umar Khan supplemented by a team performance with the bat sealed a 52-run victory for Surrey over Sussex in the D40 Quest clash at The Kia Oval.
Khan and Tayler Young combined to break open the visitors’ middle order before the former ran through the remainder of the batting line, limiting Sussex well short of their target of 193 runs.
Earlier in the day, skipper Mike O’Mahony top-scored with 44 while Joe Fisher, Young, and Ben Carter Marina chipped in with important cameos, taking the hosts to a fighting total.
Surrey showed impressive discipline at the start of their bowling innings, keeping a tab on Sussex’s top order and ensuring the run rate, which was originally below five, climbed beyond six by the 20th over.
Matt Harris provided the perfect start when he clean-bowled Owen Piper for 1 in the third over. The second breakthrough came at the hands of Matt McDonough, who got wicketkeeper Elliot Brown caught by Amelia Ridgway for 24, leaving Sussex 47/2 in the 14th over.
Alfie Pyle, the Lord’s Taverners Disability Cricketer of the Year for 2023, threatened to put Sussex in charge of the chase, scoring 44 off 37 runs. However, Surrey and England seamer Young wrestled back the initiative for Surrey, first having Scott Ridge caught behind for 29 off 64 balls and then getting rid of the dangerous Pyle.
From then on, it was the Umar Khan show at The Kia Oval. Khan all but decided the match in his triple-wicket-maiden third over, where he got the better of James Bunday (2), Charlie Ferguson (0), and A Stuart (0). In his next over, he picked up two more scalps and completed his five-for before returning after a rest to claim a sixth and close the game.
Having elected to bat, openers Khan and Marina provided a steady start, negotiating the new ball and taking Surrey to 33 inside nine overs before seamer Dan Gee found the first breakthrough when he got Khan caught by Ridge for 18.
Carter, though, continued his merry way and kept the scoreboard ticking alongside Gale, the pair striking four boundaries in quick succession. Gee, however, put an end to their partnership on 20 when he had Gale caught behind for eight by Brown.
Sussex claimed their third wicket in 22 balls as Declan Dexter got Marina stumped for a well-made 26, putting the hosts in a spot of bother, but skipper O’Mahony and Fisher relished the opportunity and dug in to rebuild Surrey’s innings.
Dogged batting soon became fluent stroke-making as the pair, led by Fisher, took the attack back to the hosts. Fisher, especially strong on the legside, found the rope on five occasions as Surrey looked fully in control, with the scoreboard moving past 115 by the 24th over.
Jake Vosloo – who bowled a brilliant spell of left-arm wrist-spin from the Pavilion End – had other plans as he dented Surrey’s innings, getting Fisher caught for 39 from 38 balls and then going on to remove Hayden Bishop (2) and James Grindrod (2) before his eight-over marathon spell ended.
Despite watching wickets fall from the other end, O’Mahony remained the glue to Surrey’s innings and came together with Young for a crisp 25-run partnership. The skipper, however, fell six runs short of what would have been a well-deserved half-century when he nicked Gee behind to Brown.
A lower-order dash from Young (28 runs from 18 balls) and Ollie Clement (14* from 11 balls), with the latter well-supported by last batter Ridgway (4*) edged Surrey closer to 200.
Dee (4/30) and Vosloo (3/28) were the pick of the bowlers for Sussex.
