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Laurie Evans century tops huge Surrey win as records tumble at Glamorgan

Laurie Evans celebrates his century Getty Images

Surrey 236 for 2 (Evans 118*, S Curran 66, Jacks 46) beat Glamorgan 171 for 8 (Northeast 76, ) by 65 runs

A record-breaking batting performance from Laurie Evans and his Surrey teammates set up a 65-run victory against Glamorgan in their Vitality Blast match in Cardiff.

Evans made the highest score against Glamorgan and the highest score on this ground as Surrey also set a record total at Sophia Gardens.

With Sam Curran and Will Jacks both making runs, Surrey set Glamorgan a target of 237 to win. This was a hard enough task but with big hitting all-rounder Dan Douthwaite unable to bat, having only managing to bowl 10 balls before he left the field, it became even harder.

Glamorgan eventually reached 171 for 8 as Surrey closed out a comfortable win with Sam Northeast's 76 the only significant score from the home side.

Surrey won the toss and elected to bat and were electrifying from the start of their innings. Jacks gave Evans great support in an opening stand that brought 115 runs from just 64 balls. Jacks was dismissed when he was trapped lbw by Glamorgan's Australian leg-spinner Peter Hatzoglou for 46 from 29 balls.

While Evans had been the aggressor in his stand with Jacks it was Curran who took on the role when he walked into bat at three. In innings that was full of outrageous shots, seven of which were smoked over the boundary for six, it was the three balls Curran hit over the rope in Prem Sisodiya's final over that will live longest in the memory. The last of these was a shot where Curran danced down the pitch a long way from where the ball pitched and still managed to straight drive it for six.

It was in that same Sisodiya over that Glamorgan nearly had some respite from the partnership between Curran and Evans, but Kiran Carlson, playing with a dislocated finger he sustained in Sunday's match against Sussex, put down a catch at long on when Evans was on 94.

Evans made the most of his chance to score his third hundred in T20 cricket and his first for Surrey. His career best 118 not out came from 60 balls and contained 12 fours and six sixes.

Curran departed in the final over, caught by Colin Ingram at long on going for another six, as Surrey posted 236 for 2, the highest total made on this ground, going past the 216 for 5 that Glamorgan made against Hampshire in 2019.

Glamorgan were left with a near insurmountable task of going at nearly 12 runs an over from the very start of their innings and they were two wickets down inside the powerplay with Carlson and Callum Taylor both falling inside the first six overs.

Glamorgan came into this match with four wins from five matches and most of that success has been down to the form of Ingram and Chris Cooke. There was a rare failure for both of them with Ingram dismissed for 11 by Sunil Narine and Cooke clean bowled by Gus Atkinson for 12.

With Cooke and Ingram gone it was left to Northeast to try and bring some respectability to the Glamorgan total and his half-century the only bright spot on a tough day for his side.

Glamorgan 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st33SA NortheastKS Carlson
2nd12SA NortheastCZ Taylor
3rd30CA IngramSA Northeast
4th19SA NortheastCB Cooke
5th20SA NortheastWT Root
6th34SA NortheastP Sisodiya
7th1SA NortheastRAJ Smith
8th22SA NortheastP Hatzoglou
9th0JP McIlroyP Hatzoglou