T20 Blast: Will Jacks Shines as Surrey and Somerset Dominate

In a thrilling Friday night of T20 Blast action, Will Jacks delivered a masterclass with the bat, scoring a scintillating 97 off just 56 balls to lead Surrey to a commanding 75-run victory over Middlesex at the Kia Oval. Jacks' innings, studded with five sixes, was the highlight of the evening as Surrey secured their third win in four nights.

Surrey's Commanding Performance

Surrey's decision to bat first paid off handsomely as Jacks took center stage, dismantling the Middlesex bowling attack. Despite falling three runs short of a century, Jacks' aggressive batting set the tone for Surrey's innings, which culminated in a formidable total of 194-8. Middlesex, in response, struggled to build partnerships and were eventually bowled out for a mere 119, with Mitchell Santner impressing with figures of 3-25.

Somerset's Winning Streak Continues

Meanwhile, Somerset continued their impressive form, securing their seventh win in eight matches with a six-wicket triumph over Glamorgan. Somerset's seam attack, led by Matt Henry and Riley Meredith, restricted Glamorgan to 130-9, a total that was never going to be enough. Tom Kohler-Cadmore's 38 ensured Somerset chased down the target with 20 balls to spare.

Other Key Matches

In other matches, Northamptonshire suffered their second consecutive defeat, losing by 24 runs to Nottinghamshire Outlaws. Lancashire, on the other hand, posted a mammoth 243-7 against Derbyshire, securing an emphatic 80-run victory. Durham also enjoyed a comfortable win, beating Yorkshire by 63 runs.

Thrilling Finishes

The night was not short of drama, with Gloucestershire edging out Hampshire by two wickets off the last ball of the game. Warwickshire also had a nail-biting one-wicket win over Worcestershire, with Sam Hain guiding the tail to victory with just three balls to spare.

Essex's Struggles Continue

Essex's woes continued as they suffered a 47-run defeat at home to Kent. Despite Dean Elgar's half-century, Essex were bowled out for 172, with Matt Parkinson claiming his best T20 figures of 5-23.

As the T20 Blast takes a two-week break, Surrey and Somerset remain the teams to beat, with Will Jacks and Somerset's seamers leading the charge.