And so on to The Oval on a steaming hot South London evening as Surrey welcomed Sussex to SE11 for another game in the Hot and Giggle.
Actually that’s not quite true. There was no way I was going to sweat my arse off back down in Transpontonia with the temperature lingering close to 34 degrees at 7 pm. I think I had the better deal sitting on the settee with five cold beers in the fridge.
Chin chin.
After the debacle in the Blast away at Bristol last week, Surrey somehow still found themselves second in the group table, but with something of a rebuilding job needed to do to carry the T20 momentum forward.
he team news saw Jordan Clarke come in for young Majid. I felt sorry for the academy youngster. He’s done little wrong in his few appearances. It just seems that the current Surrey hierarchy doesn’t like spin.
The great tattooed warrior Clarke is a more than capable replacement, but you do feel that the longer the season goes on, both in white and red ball, then we need to rethink our spinning options.
Right on cue Clarke took the wicket of Hughes for 9. Well done you.
Come the end of the Sussex power play Surrey were in need of a breakthrough. The away team were getting away on 64 for one.
Up stepped CJ to do the business. Thomas then continued the acceleration for Sussex, hitting his half Century after 23 deliveries. The scoreboard pressure looked as intimidating as the sweat box that is The Oval.
Meanwhile, In Kit News: there was a slight variation on the dodgy kit we saw away in Bristol last week. Back then J-Roy had forgotten his own Surrey top and had to wear a kit with the legend of Dan Lawrence on the back.
The wardrobe malfunction for this evening was the Sussex player Thomas wearing a very crumpled top that he had clearly washed in too high a temperature.
J-Roy saw him off with a catch over on the boundary. That position is pretty much J-Roy’s own. I’ve seen him fielding there and playing to the old OCS stand throughout the past 15 years. We’ll miss him when he’s gone.
Elsewhere CJ looked angry in the field over something that was never quite explained. He did manage to channel this anger, taking the wicket of Coles, who was caught behind.
I felt sorry for young Tear on his Sussex debut but I didn’t shed any tears when the golden arm from Lawes saw him off for one. Price also followed for one with some CJ bowling, caught by Lawrence as Surrey started to take control.
Are you ready for the BOOZE blackout just yet? You know how these Crap Match Reports work.
I was relatively coherent to see the start of the Surrey innings. I could certainly decipher that Laurie Evans is well past his sell-by date, heading back to the hutch after only 10.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. J-Roy stepped up with a fine 50. He was backed by the Aussie Philippe, who is making a rapid impression in his early T20 matches. He departed after making a cheap ramp shot, but his 31 kept the scoreboard ticking over.
A boundary from J-Roy brought up his hundred and was a fine way to win the game for Surrey.
I can’t stand all the franchise bollocks that comes with the modern game. But if we can keep J-Roy in this type of T20 peak performance for a couple more summers then he is free to go globe-trotting to earn his dosh.