Surrey vs Kent — Kent won by 8 wickets (with 36 balls remaininig)

Kent won by 8 wickets (with 36 balls remaining) against Surrey at Kennington Oval, London. Match 34 of 112 in the T20 Blast 2026. A dominant display from Kent that levels both sides on 8 points, though Surrey retain the edge on net run rate – for now.

First Innings – Surrey: 116/10 (19.5 overs)

Kent won the toss and elected to bowl – a decision that paid off spectacularly. Will Jacks (0 off 3) was bowled in the first over at 1/1, and the tone was set. Jason Roy (18 off 21, 3×4, SR 86) tried to rebuild but never found any rhythm, eventually caught at 47/2 in the ninth over.

Ollie Pope (10 off 10, 2×4) was caught at 26/2, and Sam Curran (14 off 12, 1×4 1×6, SR 117) fell caught at 44/4 in the seventh over. Surrey were 53/5 when Laurie Evans (4 off 11, SR 36) was caught after a painful stay at the crease.

Tom Curran (32 off 21, 3×4 1×6, SR 152) was the only batter to offer genuine resistance, counter-attacking with purpose. His partnership with Daniel Lawrence (16 off 20, SR 80) took Surrey from 53/5 to 97/6 before Curran was caught at 97/7. Lawrence followed shortly after at 98/8. Jordan Clark (5 off 8) was run out at 106/9, and Reece Topley (0 off 0) was run out without facing a ball at 106/9 in the same over. Tom Lawes (13* off 11, 1×6) hit a few at the end before Yousef Majid (1 off 2) was caught to end proceedings at 116 all out.

Kent’s bowling was outstanding across the board. Jake Lintott was the star with 3/19 from four overs including a maiden (Econ 4.75) – a masterclass in T20 spin bowling. Keith Dudgeon (2/22, Econ 5.74) and Frederick Klaassen (2/29, Econ 7.25) provided excellent support, while Matt Milnes (1/22, Econ 5.50) and Joe Denly (0/21, Econ 5.25) were miserly throughout. All five bowlers finished with economy rates under 7.50.

Second Innings – Kent: 118/2 (14 overs)

Chasing just 117, Kent made it look straightforward. Daniel Bell-Drummond (7 off 9) was bowled at 26/1, and Zak Crawley (2 off 5) was caught at 29/2 – briefly giving Surrey hope at 29/2 in the fifth over.

That was as good as it got for the hosts. Harry Finch and Sam Billings put together an unbroken third-wicket stand of 89 to cruise home. Finch was imperious, finishing unbeaten on 65 off 42 balls (8×4, 1×6, SR 155) – timing the ball beautifully throughout. Billings (42* off 28, 6×4, SR 150) matched him shot for shot, and Kent reached their target with a full six overs to spare.

Reece Topley (1/18, Econ 6.00) and Tom Lawes (1/34, Econ 8.50) took the only wickets for Surrey. The rest of the attack had nothing to offer against two set batters.

Statz MVP – Jake Lintott (mi_rating: 91.01)

No official Man of the Match was awarded, so the Statz MVP steps in. The Statz MVP rating calculates impact based on match context, weighing contributions against the state of the game.

Jake Lintott takes the honour with an mi_rating of 91.01. His 3/19 from four overs with a maiden set the platform for everything that followed. When you bowl a maiden in T20 cricket and still finish with three wickets at under 5 an over, you have had a very special day. Kent’s batting got all the highlights, but Lintott’s spell won this match.

Top 5 Statz Ratings

1. Jake Lintott – 91.01 – 3/19 from four overs with a maiden. Econ 4.75. Strangled Surrey’s middle order and made 117 feel like 170.
2. Harry Finch – 81.03 – Unbeaten 65 off 42, 8×4 1×6. Walked in at 29/2 and never looked troubled. Anchored the chase perfectly.
3. Tom Curran – 66.19 – 32 off 21 (SR 152) was the only innings of substance for Surrey. Fought hard from 53/5 in a lost cause.
4. Tom Lawes – 63.20 – 13* off 11 with the bat and 1/34 with the ball. Showed more fight than most of his teammates.
5. Sam Billings – 59.83 – 42* off 28, 6×4. Billings at his fluent best, punishing anything short and driving through the covers.

Turning Point

Will Jacks bowled for a duck in the first over. When your most destructive batter goes for 0 off 3, the innings is immediately on the back foot. Surrey never recovered from that early blow, and the required rate pressure built steadily until the whole card collapsed. Jacks walking off at 1/1 told you everything about how this match would go.

Match Context

Surrey sit 6th in the T20 Blast 2026 standings with 8 points from 3 matches (W2 L1, NRR +1.049). Despite this heavy defeat, their net run rate remains healthy from earlier wins. Kent move to 9th with 8 points from 3 matches (W2 L1, NRR -0.277). Both sides have qualification firmly in their own hands – but Surrey will need to forget this one quickly.

View the full scorecard on Statz