Surrey recorded the fourth highest score in T20 Blast history after running up a massive 258 for six in their emphatic 124-run victory over Sussex at Hove.
Laurie Evans led the way with 93 off 51 balls and shared in a 157-run second-wicket stand with with Sam Curran, who clubbed 68 off 35 deliveries. Jamie Overton maintained the impetus with a rapid 24 before Tom Curran smashed three sixes and two fours in an nine-ball 29.
Sussex were never in a position to challenge despite Tom Clark’s 43 off 23 at the top of the order and they were bowled out in the 15th over as Surrey moved second behind Somerset in the South Group with their biggest T20 win.
The leaders, who hold the Blast record with their 265 for five last season, were similarly comfortable 80-run winners over neighbours Gloucestershire.
Opener Will Smeed struck eight sixes and eight fours in a 35-ball 94 to propel his side to 231 for four, which proved well beyond the reach of their hosts at Bristol.
Essex also enjoyed a convincing victory at Glamorgan after Paul Walter’s career-best 78 off 34 saw them post 226 for nine and despite the hosts’ top three all getting into the 40s they could not maintain the momentum.
Kent dented Hampshire’s hopes of keeping the pressure on the top two as they registered only their second victory of the summer as Daniel Bell-Drummond’s 89 off 55 saw them secure a six-wicket win with three balls to spare at Canterbury.
Ben McDermott (57) and Joe Weatherley (67) put on 85 in eight overs in Hampshire’s total of 177 for seven but Jack Leaning hit the third ball of the final over to the boundary for victory.
Shaheen Shah Afridi saw Notts Outlaws home against Derbyshire with a quick 14 off seven balls – including a towering six off Pakistan team-mate Zaman Khan – as they retained top spot in the North Group.
Chasing the hosts’ 142 for six, Notts looked comfortable at 123 for five in the 17th over but the loss of Steven Mullaney ramped up the pressure until Afridi stepped up.
The three-wicket win, their fourth in succession, left Derbyshire still looking for their first victory over their neighbours in this format since 2015.
Moeen Ali, who came out of retirement to rejoin England’s Test squad this week, and Dan Mousley bowled Birmingham Bears to victory over Northamptonshire Steelbacks with three wickets apiece.
Bears failed to complete their full allocation of overs as they were bowled out for 137 – Freddie Heldreich claiming four for 27 – but Northamptonshire were limited to 107 for nine in reply as Birmingham moved into second place.
That was because Worcestershire Rapids came up 26 short in their high-scoring game against Yorkshire, for whom James Wharton scored 111 not out off 56 balls and shared in a second-wicket stand of 159 with Dawid Malan (79) as the Vikings amassed 224 for four at Headingley.
Kashif Ali (48no) and Ben Cox (35) made a game of it with an 81-run stand for the fifth wicket but they could not get their side over the line, finishing on 198 for six as Jordan Thompson took four for 34.
Leicestershire’s second win of the season was not enough to lift them off the foot of the table as they beat Durham by six wickets courtesy of a 149-run second-wicket alliance between Rishi Patel (104 off 49 balls) and Lewis Hill (54 not out).
Australian Ashton Turner had accelerated Durham to 172 for four with a late unbeaten 60 but the Foxes won with 14 balls to spare.
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