New boy Josh Philippe was at the heart of a remarkable Surrey comeback to fire up their Vitality Blast campaign as he teamed up with Will Jacks.
On Friday (June 26), they cruised past Sussex by seven wickets, with 27 balls to spare, at Hove on Friday with the Australian’s 52 helping Jacks (70no) add 103 to assure success.
Yet that had looked highly unlikely earlier when Sussex were 94-0 inside eight overs thanks to Harrison Ward (49) and Daniel Hughes (45), Surrey finding them impossible to contain until Dan Lawrence trapped Ward LBW. The match changed in an instant, seamer Tom Lawes claiming his T20 best of 3-26 as the hosts went into freefall.
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But for Tom Alsop making 31, they would have failed to reach the 171 all out in the 20th over finally achieved, Reece Topley returning to end final resistance with 3-16.
Surrey lost Jason Roy for 12 but Jacks – in his final match before joining up with England’s T20 squad, alongside Sam Curran – was already flowing, hitting six fours and four sixes in a stay of just 39 balls.
Philippe had been signed to fill the gaps being left by Jacks and Curran, having played 17 T20 internationals for Australia and proved highly effective in their Big Bash League for Sydney Sixers. He hit 10 fours and a six in his 28-ball stay, Lawrence (20no) helping Jacks finish the job.
It put Surrey joint-second with Essex – their opponents at Chelmsford on Wednesday (July 1) – and Kent, with a tough trip to face Gloucestershire at Bristol coming up on Saturday.
The top two sides in each of the three groups automatically qualify for the quarter-finals, two out of three teams finishing third making up the numbers.
Vitality Blast matches to come: Fri 26: Sussex (A); Wed July 1: Essex (A); Sat 4: Gloucestershire (A); Wed 8: Sussex (H); Fri 10: Kent (A); Sun 12: Essex (H).
