The Cricketer look at the main talking points as Sussex overcome Surrey in the T20 Blast clash at the Kia Oval
Sussex have a habit of pulling off stunning catches at this ground, in this format.
Two years ago it was Archie Lenham, in a game which was eventually abandoned, who aged 16 pulled off a stunner to dismiss Jason Roy.
The leg-spinner was part of the action again here but he was forced to share the stage with James Coles.
Sam Curran was looking to carve the ball away for a boundary but Coles had other ideas, diving down to his right at backward point and grabbing the ball inches off the floor.
Suddenly Sussex had Will Jacks and Curran back in the shed inside the powerplay, and there was all to play for.
Top catch from James Coles. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/LaQIY95F3w
— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) May 28, 2023
The key period of the contest came towards the end of the Surrey innings when, with a decent foundation built, they were looking to set an imposing target ahead of the second half of the game.
Ravi Bopara had returned 3 for 18 from his three overs and all had assumed the Sharks captain would bring himself on for one of those vital death overs.
Instead, it was the left-arm duo of Tymal Mills and George Garton - England men's present and future - who shouldered the responsibility.
Twenty-one balls during one of the hardest periods to bowl produced just a single boundary and ended with four wickets which didn't cost a single run off the bat.
Mills produced two eye-catching dismissals across the afternoon, the second as Jamie Overton's off-stump was deposited on the outfield.
As successful as Bopara's tedious medium-pace deliveries had been, it was a crucial decision to remove himself from the attack and deploy his two left-arm pacers, who combined variations with searing pace to open the door for the visitors.
Sam Curran's side stumbled for the first time this season (James Chance/Getty Images)
Same competition, same opponent. Surrey saw their unbeaten start to the season fade into the distance courtesy of the five-wicket defeat.
Meanwhile, Sussex, whose only other win of 2023 came in the opening week of the season against Durham in the County Championship, are now off the mark in the Blast.
It was towards the end of last June, 2022, that Sussex defeated Surrey by 17 runs at Hove to end their unbeaten start to the campaign and there have been shades of that during their start this summer.
For a period, it looked as though a half-baked Surrey display would be good enough to get themselves over the line again. Sussex were stumbling in the chase four down for 56 in the 11th over, still needing 93 from 59 balls.
It was therefore heartening to see their endeavour rewarded with a positive result. On another day, Tom Alsop is dismissed in the final over by a vicious Sam Curran inswinger, but the umpire's finger remained by his side.
While the depth of quality in the Surrey ranks is undeniable, the last thing the county system needs is them picking up victories with anything less than well-rounded performances. It doesn't exactly send a great message.
So it will have been heartening for many of their South Group rivals to see their air of invincibility compromised by Paul Farbrace's side.
They now go to defending champions Hampshire Hawks on Wednesday (May 31) in an intriguing test of both sides' title credentials.
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