KT vs SUR 9th Match, T20 Blast 2023

182-720.0

Surrey won by 41 runs 🏆

SUR

20.0223-5

Match info

Live

Scorecard

Player of the Match

KT - 2nd Innings

Session	Open	PASS
6 Over	54	75
10 Over	109	110
15 Over	161	147

SUR - 1st Innings

Session	Open	PASS
6 Over	53	53
10 Over	87	77
15 Over	117	133
20 Over	180	223

Commentary

That's it from our end and we hope you had great fun with all the fireworks that were on display tonight!

Fingers crossed as we look for more such entertaining contests in the tournament ahead. Until then, please make sure to take good care of yourselves, as this is Wali Siddiqui, Probuddha Bhattacharjee and Bishal Mandal signing off.

Sean Abbott (Player of the Match): "Not at all; got a feeling that I played a rugby match. Have got a couple of bruises. I was just looking to put the balls out of the ground that was in my radar. Yeah, that was probably what I needed to do there. There were a couple of guys who could have batted after me. But I thought that I need to get going, and I knew that the pitch was good for batting. Yeah, I think I will get a good night's sleep tonight."

Sam Curran (Surrey Captain): "Yeah it was pretty amazing. I enjoyed it and I don't think it will happen again (smiles). Brilliant display from Sean Abbott. The way he came to bat with us 5 down at 90 something and to score an excellent hundred in 30 odd balls, it was pretty special. Jason Roy was injured last night and couldn't make it to this fixture. We have a good bunch of boys who turned up and played the brilliant brand of cricket tonight. The way Kent batted it showed that the wicket was a great one for batting. Hopefully, Roy gets back fit for the next fixture. Yeah as I said, Abbott was brilliant to get a century after we were in trouble."

Sam Billings (Kent Captain): "It was pretty special from Sean Abbott. When someone is playing that well, there is nothing much you can do. Really special effort there by Abbott. You always decide the track on which to chase and hope for things to fall into place. Well, you can just look to take the pace of the delivery and bowl in the right areas, but again when someone is smoking it like that, you can not do much. We got to move on quickly to the next game on Tuesday. We played a lot of good cricket in this match, 12 overs with the ball and then at the beginning with the bat. But it was a special effort by Sean Abbott that took the match away from us."

So that’s that and it’s Surrey that have secured comprehensive win by 41 runs over Kent.

Batting first Surrey got off to a poor start as they lost four wickets for 64 in under 10 overs. Man in form Will Jacks contributed with 17 (11) before getting dismissed to George Linde. Meanwhile, Laurie Evans scored 11 (8) as Kane Richardson got the better of him.

Sam and Tom Curran could just manage to score 15 (16) and 16 (14) respectively and it seemed at one stage that Kent could only manage to get to a score close to 150. However, that’s where things took a dramatic turn as Sean Abbott came into the party.

Abbott’s power hitting shifted the momentum well in favour of Surrey as they went past a first innings total beyond their wildest expectations. Sean Abbott struck a scintillating 100 from just 34 deliveries while etching his name in the history books in the process.

In totality the 31-year old struck a monstrous 110 (41)* while remaining unbeaten as his innings consisted of four fours and a staggering 11 sixes. Abbott was provided support from the other end as Jordan Clark stood his ground and got to a valuable 29 (17)*.

With Abbott doing most of the heavy lifting, the duo contributed to an unbeaten 129* run partnership.

As for the run-chase, the Kent openers started off in a trailblazing manner. The opening duo of Tawanda Muyeye and Daniel Bell-Drummond scored 108 run stand for the first wicket from 10 overs. Both sets of batters scored a half-century each and it seemed like the game could very well go right down the wire.

That’s when Sunil Narine brought his invaluable experience into the arena and got the big wicket off Daniel Bell-Drummond for 52 (27). Joe Denly did try to take the momentum forward as he got to 22 (15), but wasn’t able to make the most of it as he got dismissed to Sam Curran.

Denly’s wicket led to a collapse as Muyeye’s wicket 59 (37) was quick to fall soon after. The rest of the batters fell like a pack of cards as the likes of Will Jacks, Tom Lawes, Sunil Narine and Sam Curran kept chipping in with the wickets.

Kent were eventually restricted to 182-7 from 20 overs.

Will Jacks was the standout with the ball in hand for Surrey as he bagged two wickets for just seven runs in one over. Sunil Narine kept things tight courtesy his spell of 2-28 from four. Tom Lawes also contributed with a couple of wickets of his own.

Although the bowlers did do well towards the fag end for Surrey, the day solely belonged to Sean Abbott, who's knock with the bat will be remembered for a long time to come.

OVER 20

Kent

182/7

Joey Evison

5(12)

Grant Stewart

19(12)

Sean Anthony Abbott

0-38(3.0)

19.6 Abbott to G Stewart

0 Short ball at the shoulder height of the batter. Stewart swings hard at the ball in an attempt to hook it but fails to get any kind of connection on it. With that, Surrey wins the match, thanks to an incredible batting performance from Sean Anthony Abbott.

19.5 Abbott to G Stewart

0 Beaten for the third time on the trot. Short ball on the off stump and it was a slower one. Stewart tried to go across the line but failed to make any connection.

19.4 Abbott to J Evison

1b Back of a length again and once again, it was a slower one. Evison tries to pull the ball and fails to connect, once more but takes a single, umpires singals bye run.

19.3 Abbott to J Evison

0 Back of a length slower delivery on the off stump. Evison looks to pull the ball but fails to connect.

19.2 Abbott to G Stewart

1 Brilliant effort in the deep here. Back of a length ball and slower one at the off stump. Stewart pulls it to long-off and the fielder in the deep makes a diving safe and keeps it down to a single.

19.1 Abbott to G Stewart

6 SIX!!!! Full length ball outside the off stump. Stewart waits for the ball and plummels it over extra cover fence for six runs.

Bumper by Atkinson and it's struck Stewart on the helmet. The umpires have called in the physio as a result of the concussion protocol.

OVER 19

Kent

174/7

Joey Evison

5(10)

Grant Stewart

12(8)

Gus Atkinson

0-41(4.0)

18.6 G Atkinson to J Evison

0 A bouncer at the middle stump. Evison looks to pull the ball but gets it on the helmet. The ball lobs up in the air, and the bowler takes the catch. There is a light appeal, but it was clear the hit the helmet. The umpire signals for the physio to come out and check the batter for the concussion.

18.5 G Atkinson to G Stewart

1 Good length ball at the leg stump. Stewart pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

18.4 G Atkinson to G Stewart

0 Yorker at the off stump. Stewart moves away from the line of the ball and slices it to the man at covers.

18.3 G Atkinson to G Stewart

0 Short ball on the leg stump. Stewart looks to pull the ball but misses out.

18.2 G Atkinson to G Stewart

6 SIX!!!! Back of a length ball on the off-stump line. Stewart spotted the slower early and waist for the ball to arrive. He then slaps it over extra cover for six runs.