LONDON — A thrilling Friday night in the T20 Blast saw South Group leaders Somerset extend their winning streak, while North Group table-toppers Northamptonshire suffered a surprise defeat in a packed evening of action.
Jacks' fireworks power Surrey to victory
Will Jacks delivered a blistering 89 off just 47 balls as Surrey chased down 193 with seven wickets to spare against Gloucestershire at The Oval. The England all-rounder smashed 6 fours and 7 sixes in his match-winning knock, with Surrey captain Chris Jordan praising his performance: "Will was phenomenal tonight - when he's in that kind of form, he's unstoppable."
Key moments in Surrey's win:
- Jacks' 50 came off just 24 balls
- 96-run partnership with Laurie Evans (42*)
- Sean Abbott's 3/28 with the ball
- Victory achieved with 11 balls remaining
Somerset maintain perfect start
Somerset made it four wins from four with a comfortable 35-run victory over Hampshire at Taunton. Tom Banton's 68 off 42 balls set the platform for Somerset's 195/6, before Craig Overton (3/19) and Riley Meredith (2/22) restricted Hampshire to 160/9.
Somerset coach Jason Kerr was delighted with his team's performance: "We're executing our plans superbly at the moment. The bowling unit in particular has been outstanding in defending totals."
Northamptonshire's stumble
North Group leaders Northamptonshire suffered their first defeat of the campaign, losing by 5 wickets to Durham at Wantage Road. Despite David Willey's 3/24, Durham chased down 168 with 5 balls to spare thanks to Graham Clark's unbeaten 68.
Northamptonshire captain Josh Cobb admitted: "We were 15-20 runs short with the bat and didn't bowl as well as we have been. Credit to Durham, they outplayed us tonight."
Other Friday night highlights
Elsewhere in the competition:
- Birmingham Bears beat Derbyshire by 7 wickets (Sam Hain 82*)
- Notts Outlaws edged Yorkshire by 3 runs in a thriller
- Lancashire defeated Leicestershire by 6 wickets
Standings update
After Friday's matches, the group tables show:
- South Group: Somerset (8pts), Surrey (6pts), Essex (6pts)
- North Group: Northamptonshire (6pts), Lancashire (6pts), Birmingham (6pts)
The T20 Blast continues on Saturday with another full round of fixtures, including the much-anticipated Roses clash between Lancashire and Yorkshire at Headingley, while Somerset look to maintain their perfect record against Gloucestershire.
With the tournament reaching its early crescendo, several players are making strong cases for England selection ahead of the T20 World Cup next month. Will Jacks' explosive form will be particularly encouraging for the national selectors.
As the competition heats up, the battle for quarter-final places is becoming increasingly intense. The next week of fixtures could prove crucial in determining which teams emerge as genuine title contenders.
Friday's results have set up an intriguing weekend of T20 action, with several teams now looking to build momentum as we approach the halfway stage of the group phase.