JACKS OF ALL TRADES
Batsman stars with the ball to send Surrey into T20 semi-finals
AREMARKABlE performance with the ball by Will Jacks booked Surrey a place in tomorrow’s T20 finals day for the first time in six years.
The 21-year- old Jacks, better known for his top-order hitting, opened the bowling with his offbreaks and knocked over Kent’s powerful top four of Daniel Bell-Drummond — the tournament’s leading run- scorer — and three England batsmen in Zak Crawley, Joe Denly and Sam Billings.
By the time Jacks, who had previously boasted a career record of six T20 wickets in 33 matches, finished his spell of four for 15, Kent were 54 for four and well behind the rate as they chased 170 on a sluggish pitch.
They limped to an underwhelming 113 for seven.
‘I didn’t come here expecting to take any wickets, let alone four,’ said Jacks.
Earlier, he had contributed an unbeaten 23 to Surrey’s 169 for two. But the spadework was done by Jason Roy, who put a patchy season behind him with 56 off 42 balls, and South African veteran Hashim Amla, who made 73 not out off 53. Their opening stand of 114 was one more than Kent managed in total and more than enough to win an eighth T20 in a row.
But Kent believed Roy should have been given run out the ball before he was dismissed by slow left-armer Imran Qayyum, with a clear show of displeasure from captain Billings.
He was spoken to by the umpires, and later hit with a level 1 Code of Conduct breach. Billings said: ‘You’re captain and it’s a decision you feel has gone the opposite way.
I’m not saying I reacted correctly. I accept the level 1. ‘But we’re all human. Jason Roy’s a worldclass wicket to try to pick up. ‘It was definitely out, let’s be honest. Credit to Surrey, though. They outplayed us.’ Surrey will play the first semi-final against Gloucestershire, who beat Northamptonshire by seven wickets at Bristol after three scalps each for Benny Howell and Ryan Higgins helped skittle the visitors for 113. lancashire will be at Edgbaston too after their spinners ran amok against Sussex at Hove. England leg-spinner Matt Parkinson took three for nine and liam livingstone four for 23 as Sussex were all out for 95, losing by 45 runs.
They will face Nottinghamshire, who won a final- ball thriller against leicestershire last night by virtue of a better score in the powerplay overs.
After the Foxes posted 139, Notts were two behind with one ball remaining and a misfield by Dieter Klein allowed Imad Wasim to tie the game.
The teams both finished on 139 for seven, sending Notts through on the powerplay tiebreaker.
With dreadful weather forecast tomorrow, finals day is expected to run into Sunday.
If no play is possible, a bowl-out will decide the winner, with five players on both sides bowling two deliveries each at the stumps.