Curran cracks maiden T20 ton to clinch top spot for Surrey

Surrey 188 for 5 (Curran 102*) beat Hampshire 183 (Albert 66, Clarke 3-24) by five wickets

Sam Curran hit his first T20 hundred – and only his second in any format – to lead Surrey to a five-wicket win over Hampshire. The result not only guaranteed Surrey a home quarter-final, but ensured they will finish top of the South Group.

Curran, the England allrounder clubbed, six sixes and seven fours in his unbeaten, 58-ball 102 and reached his century with the winning hit, as Surrey chased down a target of 184 with five balls to spare at The Kia Oval.

Curran, caught off a no-ball on 44, shared stands of 86 with Dominic Sibley (27) and 54 with Jamie Overton (21). John Turner was the pick of Hampshire’s attack with 2 for 30.

Hampshire’s 183 was built around a career-best 66 from Toby Albert, his first half-century in the format. Jordan Clark’s 3 for 24 kept the target within bounds while there were also two wickets for Matt Dunn in his first T20 match for three years.

The 2022 winners Hampshire, already out of this year’s Blast, adopted an aggressive approach after being put in but, Albert apart, couldn’t capitalise on positive starts. Australian Ben McDermott, hit Dunn for the game’s first six, only to find the hands of Overton on the boundary later in the over.

Dunn also accounted for Tom Prest, while James Vince threatened briefly with five boundaries including a majestic six off Curran before being undone by a beauty from Clark which jagged back and crashed into his stumps. When Joe Weatherley perished early, the Hawks were 65 for 4.

Albert had begun explosively, twice clearing the ropes to race to 30. Benny Howell, however, continued the trend of a big hit and out, and James Fuller was the second batter castled by Clark, playing around a straight one. Liam Dawson sparkled momentarily until sacrificing himself after a mix-up in running and it needed a cool head coupled with late acceleration from Albert to get Hampshire to a creditable 183.

Deprived of their two leading scorers in the competition this season – Ollie Pope and Jamie Smith – away on Test duty, the hosts needed others to stick their hand up for the chase. Will Jacks smacked the first ball from Brad Wheal for six, but the bowler’s revenge was swift as he holed out to the next delivery and Wheal struck again in his following over to remove Laurie Evans.

Turner cranked up the pressure on the home batters with two hostile overs, but it was England Under-19 international Eddie Jack who removed Rory Burns courtesy of a stunning catch by Prest, leaving Surrey floundering at 27 for 3. Sibley should have followed soon afterwards but was dropped by Dawson at midwicket, Fuller the unlucky bowler.

Curran, returning to county cricket from last month’s T20 World Cup, celebrated his team-mate’s reprieve by planting Dawson over wide mid-on for six and, having got the taste, hit Howell for successive maximums in the following over. More drama, with Turner holding on to a steepling top edge only for the umpire to signal no-ball: again, it was Fuller who was out of luck.

Curran survived the loss of Sibley to reach 50 in 34 balls, before surpassing his previous career-best in the format helped by a fourth six. Overton caught the mood with successive sixes of Jack and though he departed before the end, Curran hit Fuller into the Bedser Stand to see Surrey home.