What a catch: Will Jacks is congratulated by his Surrey team-mates after a fine take on the Oval boundary
(Picture: Getty Images for Surrey CCC)Surrey continued their sensational form in the Vitality Blast as Sussex became the latest opposition to be blown away at The Oval.
A opening stand of 110 between Will Jacks (57) and Jason Roy (50) meant the hosts were never troubled as they chased 147 with seven wickets in hand to make it five wins from six at the start of their campaign, the only blemish coming courtesy of a no-result due to rain at Glamorgan on Sunday.
Jacks had earlier provided the early breakthrough after Surrey had won the toss and elected to bowl, the 23-year-old taking an outrageous one-handed catch on the boundary to dismiss Ravi Bopara off the bowling of Dan Worrall in the second over.
The visitors eventually posted a total of 146 for seven, Fynn Hudson-Prentice top-scoring with an unbeaten 49, while Surrey skipper Chris Jordan led the way with figures of 4-1-23-2 to go with the run-out of Obed McCoy in the final over.
As is their wont, Roy and Jacks wasted little time in setting about the chase and were almost halfway there by the end of the opening powerplay, with the stand still intact on 72.
Jacks marked the halfway stage in the innings by reaching his half-century off just 27 balls with his eighth boundary of the knock, bringing up the hundred partnership in the process.
It was almost broken when Roy was nearly caught off Bopara the very next ball and then deceived by 17-year-old spinner Archie Lehman, but the England opener survived to eventually follow suit before carving straight to backwards point.
That brought Sam Curran, who has been in sensational form with the bat, to the crease, but the all-rounder lasted just two balls before chopping onto his own stumps for one to give McCoy his second wicket in the over.
Jacks became the third wicket to fall in just six deliveries as he gave England quick Tymal Mills his first scalp, but Kieron Pollard (23 off 11) settled any nerves with huge sixes off Lehman and Mills to bring Surrey in sight of the finish line, before Laurie Evans dabbed the winning run with three-and-a-half overs to spare.
