JACKS, ROSSINGTON, MOEEN AND MALAN SHINE IN T20 BLAST

Pretoria Capitals all-rounder Will Jacks was in scintillating form for Surrey in England’s T20 Blast over the weekend.

Jacks, who has 515 Betway SA20 career runs including a magnificent century in Season 2, struck six fours and five sixes in his 86 (46 balls) to secure Surrey’s place in the quarterfinals. 

One of Jacks’ boundaries came off his Capitals teammate Eathan Bosch, but he reserved the major punishment for Sunrisers Eastern Cape off-spinner Simon Harmer.

Harmer, playing for Essex alongside Bosch, was hammered for two sixes early on before another string of consecutive sixes in the 16th over. 

Harmer, however, managed to gain his revenge when Jacks attempted a third consecutive maximum, but was caught by Charlie Allison on the boundary.

Jacks’ scalp was the third of Harmer’s victims on the day after the off-spinner had earlier missed out on claiming a hat-trick. Harmer clean bowled former England opener Rory Burns before trapping MI Cape Town all-rounder Sam Curran LBW first ball. 

Essex’s pursuit of Surrey’s 189/8 rested with Sunrisers Eastern Cape opener Adam Rossington.

The burly top-order batter, who was the Player of the Match in the Betway SA20 Season 1 final, kept Essex’s hopes alive with 49-ball 78 (x5 sixes). 

But once Rossington departed, Surrey held their nerve to close out victory by 13 runs. 

Meanwhile at Edgbaston, Joburg Super Kings all-rounder Moeen Ali also booked the Birmingham Bears’ quarter-final spot with a buccaneering 59 off 32 balls against Derbyshire. 

Equally, defending T20 Blast champions Somerset also ensured their progression to the knockout stages, courtesy of MI Cape Town’s Tom Banton’s 79 not out off 52 balls that ensured the nine-wicket victory.

Sunrisers Eastern Cape star Dawid Malan was also amongst the runs for Yorkshire as his unbeaten 93 off 50 balls guided the Vikings to six-wicket win at Worcestershire.