By Jon Batham
Jason Roy and Chris Jordan reminded the England selectors of their white-ball talents as Surrey strengthened their position as South Group leaders with a 20-run Vitality Blast win over London rivals Middlesex at Lord’s.
Roy crunched 81 in 45 balls, his innings forming the backbone of a formidable 208-7 after the visitors were invited to bat first by Middlesex skipper Steven Eskinazi.
The innings included controversy when Jamie Overton was given out for nought on the field only to be reprieved by the third umpire, denying Middlesex’s best bowler Martin Andersson (two for 32) a deserved third wicket.
The hosts initially chased boldly led by Eskinazi’s 47 from 21 balls but Jordan’s superb return of four for 31 along with Sunil Narine’s miserly two for 28 saw Surrey to a sixth win of the campaign.
Roy was in explosive mood from the off, his pick-up shot off Toby Roland-Jones the pick of his three sixes, all of which ended up in the grandstand. He rode his luck at times too, twice inside-edging past leg-stump and nicking another just wide of wicketkeeper John Simpson. All three shots went for four as he roared to 50 off 24 balls.
Will Jacks, destroyer of Middlesex in the last two encounters at Lord’s, was a passenger in an opening stand of 55 before skying Jason Behrendorff to Eskinazi at mid-off.
Laurie Evans made a brisk 22 before being brilliantly caught and bowled by Andersson, before Narine (25) produced an equally rapid cameo to keep up the momentum and Roy looked set for a century before dragging one into his stumps.
Two balls later the athletic Andersson looked to have caught and bowled Overton for nought, but third umpire Richard Kettleborough ruled the all-rounder had grassed the chance. It proved a big moment as Overton produced two big sixes in a swashbuckling 27 from just 12 balls as Surrey surged beyond 200.
Recent history suggested Middlesex hopes hinged on Eskinazi and he started in sensational style, hitting both Reece Topley and Daniel Worrall into the crowd, the latter a monster hit into the grandstand. Max Holden caught the mood, striking three successive boundaries off Curran as 76 came from the powerplay.
The wily Jordan broke the stand with his first ball when Holden (33) pulled him into the hands of backward square-leg. Worse followed for the hosts when Narine produce a beauty to bowl Eskinazi three short of 50 and with two new batsman at the crease the rate required began to spiral.
Pressure told as Eoin Morgan, back from injury holed out in the deep off Overton and Simpson soon followed a second victim of spinner Narine.
Jordan then removed a strangely subdued Joe Cracknell and Andersson with successive balls and despite some late defiance from Chris Green (46 not out from 29), 53 from the last four overs proved too many as Middlesex suffered a fourth defeat in a row.
Surrey all-rounder Jamie Overton said: “We are going strongly. We all know our roles which is the difference between us and other sides. There’s a clarity when we go out to the middle.
Jason got us off to a rollicking start. He’s played himself into a bit of form before going off to the Netherlands, but everyone can contribute. It’s not just one person every game.Everyone has put their hand up at some point during the seven games.
On the caught and bowled incident he added: “Initially, I knew he’s caught it about a foot off the floor, but as he went to roll he put his hand face down on the floor, so the ball was straight on the floor.
“So, I felt he was using the floor to help him hold the ball, so I said that and then it was up to the umpires.
“I was a bit worried when they gave it out on the field and then it took two or three minutes for the decision. I thought he was going to give it out because he hadn’t got enough evidence to overturn it, but it went my way and I cashed in.”
Middlesex skipper Steven Eskinazi added: “It was a good game of cricket. We know in games like the Roses match and London derbies you are never quite out of it. Wev managed to keep throwing punches at various times and as such a young team against a vastly experienced side you can’t ask for too much more. In the end their experience and a little bit of their quality just shone through.
“When your opponents’ fourth fifth and sixth bowlers have played 100 games for their country it’s pretty difficult for young guys playing in their 20th game. But we didn’t shy away. Even Chris Green at the end kept us in it until the last 12 or 13 balls to go.I was proud of the way we started with the bat. We know we can take on anyone to get ahead of the rate and Max is playing fantastically at the moment.”
On the Overton caught and bowled being given not out, he added: “Talking about the laws of cricket at Lord’s is always interesting. I think everyone in the ground knows Martin caught it. He wasn’t juggling it. He was putting it down to break his fall, but he had control of it. I asked Jamie Overton if it was him who took the catch what would he say, and he said it would be out. Those are the small little rubs of the green you don’t get in losses like tonight. “