HOVE, England, CMC – Sunil Narine carried his wickets tally for the T20 Blast to 14, following a three-wicket haul on Friday which helped lift Surrey to a crushing 124-run win over Sussex.
With the hosts left with a daunting 259 to chase after opener Laurie Evans (93) and Sam Curran (68) blasted half-centuries, Sussex found themselves unable to cope with Narine, the West Indies off-spinner claiming three for 12 from just 2.5 overs, as the run chase folded for 134 in the 15th over.
Leg-spinner Cameron Steel picked up three for 41 to assist in the demolition, with seamer Tom Lawes (2-17) and another off-spinner Will Jacks (2-29) supporting with a brace each.
Opener Tom Clarke lashed 43 from 23 deliveries but no other batsman passed 20 in a Sussex batting meltdown.
Sent in, Sussex posted their second straight 200-plus score when they galloped to 258 for six off their 20 overs, following up their 236 against Glamorgan in Cardiff earlier this week.
The 35-year-old Evans, who struck an unbeaten hundred then, top-scored with another robust knock which included 13 fours and four sixes, and put on 157 for the second wicket with Curran whose 35-ball innings came with half-dozen fours and four sixes
Evans posted a further 39 for the third wicket with Jamie Overton (24) before finally perishing at the start of the 17th over, one of two wickets for 21-year-old quick Henry Crocombe (2-51).
In reply, James Coles fell cheaply for four in the second over with 12 runs on the board before Clark, who lashed eight fours in a 23-ball innings, put on 47 for the second wicket with Tom Alsop (17).
But Jacks had Clark stumped in the sixth over and Narine claimed the first of his wickets when he removed captain Ravi Bopara (1) to a catch at the wicket in the following over, to set in train Sussex’s demise.
Surrey lie second in the South Group on 12 points, two behind leaders Somerset.