Vitality Blast quarter-final, The Kia Oval
Northants 154-4 (14 overs):Bopara 105*; Clark 3-13
Surrey 147-6 (14 overs):S Curran 69*, Pope 41; Scrimshaw 3-34
Northants won by seven runs – match reduced to 14 overs per side
Scorecard
Ravi Bopara rolled back the years with a stunning 45-ball century as Northamptonshire beat Surrey by seven runs in a rain-shortened T20 Blast quarter-final at The Oval.
Former England all-rounder Bopara, 40, went in at number three after the first-ball dismissal of opener Ricardo Vasconcelos and led Northants’ recovery from 1-2 to 154-4 from their 14 overs.
Bopara struck 12 fours and five sixes, reaching the third T20 century of his career with a boundary to fine leg off the penultimate ball of the innings and ending 105 not out off 46 balls.
Although Surrey kept up with the required run-rate for long spells of their chase, they also lost wickets at regular intervals.
Captain Sam Curran starred with an unbeaten 69 but his efforts proved in vain as the home side ended 147-6.
Northants will play at Finals Day on 13 September for the first time since 2016 – the year they most recently won the competition.
Surrey, despite finishing top of the South Group with 11 wins from 14 matches, missed out on a third consecutive Finals Day appearance at Edgbaston and their wait to add to their 2003 triumph continues.
Persistent rain earlier on Wednesday had caused a delay of one hour and 20 minutes to the scheduled start time and a reduction of six overs per side.
The match was not interrupted once it got under way, but a wet outfield made fielding conditions extremely difficult.
Bopara has appeared in every year of England’s domestic T20 tournament since it launched in 2003 and, in his tally of 221 innings in the competition, it is inconceivable to think he has produced a better batting display.
Northants lost Vasconcelos and captain David Willey for ducks in Jordan Clark’s first over but the visitors, who were responsible for three of the four highest team totals during the group phase, quickly regrouped.
Clark and Chris Jordan (1-22) apart, Surrey’s bowlers felt the full force of Bopara’s onslaught. Curran and older brother Tom went for 74 runs off their five overs combined, while England paceman Gus Atkinson was hit for 18 off his solitary over.
Bopara’s brilliance had put Northants in a great position but Surrey, their batting line-up littered with internationals, were far from out of the contest.
England Test batter Ollie Pope (41) added 74 for the third wicket with his skipper before being dismissed by George Scrimshaw (3-34), who also removed Dan Lawrence in the same over and later the dangerous Laurie Evans.
Some accurate deliveries from Ben Sanderson and Willey left Surrey needing 19 off Sanderson’s final over and that task proved beyond them.
Friday, 5 September
Durham v Hampshire (18:30 BST)
Saturday, 6 September
Lancashire v Kent (14:30 BST)
Somerset v Bears (18:30 BST)
Saturday, 13 September
Semi-finals and final at Edgbaston
