Report & Reaction: Surrey v Hampshire Hawks, Vitality Blast

Sam Curran produced an outstanding performance with bat and ball as Surrey thrashed Hampshire by 72 runs to move to the top of the South Group and maintain their 100 per cent record in this year’s Vitality Blast.

The 23-year-old made 69 off 38 balls as Surrey piled up 228 for four - their second-highest total in T20 history - before taking a career-best five for 30 including three wickets in an over as Hampshire were dismissed for 156.

A Kia Oval crowd of 15,000 was treated to some spectacular hitting, first by Curran and Will Jacks, who hammered 131 from 73 balls for the second wicket, and then by Sunil Narine, who added 52 from 23 deliveries.

It was Surrey’s highest total at the Oval for seven years and too much for a Hampshire side hampered by the absence of their skipper James Vince through illness. James Fuller top-scored with 43 in their reply but they remain winless after four games.

Yet it started well for them. After electing to bowl first they made a breakthrough in the first over when Liam Dawson spun one through Jason Roy’s defences.

But Jacks and Curran were soon flaying their attack to all parts. Between them, they hit ten sixes and nine fours in a partnership that was Surrey’s third-highest in T20 and eclipsed their previous best against Hampshire when Jacks and Laurie Evans put on 118 at The Ageas Bowl two years ago.

Jack hit 64 off 36 balls with five sixes - his second fifty in this season’s competition - and Curran also cleared the rope five times to take him to his fifty.

Dawson briefly dragged things back by dismissing both batsmen in the 13th over. Jacks was brilliantly caught by the diving Crane at wide mid-off before Crane took a far easier catch in the covers to dismiss Curran for 69 off 38 deliveries.

Narine then showcased spectacular timing and power to smash 52 from just 23 balls with five fours and four sixes and their reply began unfortunately with Nick Gubbins acrobatically caught in the covers by Kieron Pollard off Reece Topley’s second ball.

Ben McDermott and Tom Prest briefly raised Hampshire hopes by adding 55 off 23 balls with McDermott depositing a delivery from Topley onto the Harleyford Road before Curran produced his decisive burst, bowling Prest as he swung across the line, deceiving McDermott with a slower ball which the Australian chipped to mid-on and having Donald taken at mid-off off a top-edge.

Curran then returned to bowl Nathan Ellis and pin Fuller lbw to complete an impressive night’s work.

Fans enjoying a summer’s afternoon or evening of Vitality Blast action at The Ageas Bowl can look forward to free family-friendly activities, live music and a whole host of off-pitch entertainment as well as the best food and drink in English cricket – that’s in addition to all the edge-of-your-seat cricketing action that T20 promises.

Vitality Blast Passports have now sold out after a record number of fans secured their seven-match passes. Individual match tickets are on sale for this summer’s Vitality Blast at the discounted Advance rate until 11:59pm the day before each match. Click the link below to purchase yours.

Hampshire Hawks have also announced a brand-new type of ticket for this summer’s T20 matches at The Ageas Bowl, the Vitality Blast Plus ticket, which offers an upgrade on general admission tickets with premium reserved seating and access to a private, pitch-facing lounge and bar.

Vitality Blast Plus tickets have sold out for the mouth-watering T20 ‘el clasicoast’ double-header on Saturday 4th June but a limited number of these new tickets are still available at the Advance rate for each of Hampshire Hawks’ six other Vitality Blast matches.

Getting to The Ageas Bowl for this summer’s Vitality Blast will be easier and more affordable than ever before as fans will be able to make use of free buses running to and from The Ageas Bowl from Hedge End and Southampton Airport Parkway train stations. 

These free direct buses will be available from both Southampton Airport Parkway Railway Station and Hedge End Station, running continuously from 4:30pm for weekday fixtures and 12pm for weekend fixtures.

The buses will depart from immediately outside both stations - simply head for the Hampshire Hawks flags upon arrival at the stations!

The buses heading back to the stations from The Ageas Bowl will depart from opposite the West Gate turnstiles and the last bus back to the stations will leave 30 minutes after the end of the match.

You won't need a ticket or any accreditation to use the free buses - simply turn up at the stations and get on board - however, if you are planning to use the buses we would ask you to complete the short registration form (available below) to ensure we're able to provide enough vehicles for all fans using the services.