Cameron Delport scored a 38-ball century against Surrey (Source: Essex/Twitter)Essex opener Cameron Delport’s quickfire 49-ball 129 helped Essex to a mammoth total of 226 in a rain-curtailed 15-overs per side match at Chelmsford on Friday. On the completion of Essex’s innings against Sussex, their run rate was 15.06 which is the highest by a team in T20 cricket history posting a 200-plus total. The previous highest run rate in a 200-plus score belonged to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The Virat Kohli-led side scored 211/3 at a run rate of 14.06 in a similar rain-curtailed 15-overs per side match.
Essex Eagles’ quickest ever T20 and the 5th fastest in @VitalityBlast history!
Over to you, @Cam12Delport…#SoarWithUs pic.twitter.com/ByXznUqklU
— Essex Cricket (@EssexCricket) July 20, 2019
Delport took the Sussex bowlers to the cleaners hitting them for as many as 14 sixes and seven fours. The 30-year-old reached his century in just 38 balls, the fifth highest in the league’s history. Also, the number of sixes he hit is the third-highest by a batsman in the tournament’s history in an innings.
Sussex bowlers struggled to control the flow of fours and sixes. Tom Curran was the most expensive of the lot as he leaked 63 runs from his quota of three overs at an economy rate of 21. With these bowling figures, Curran bagged an embarrassing record. His economy rate of 21 is the highest for a bowler bowling three or more overs.
Apart from Delport, the 22-year-old Dan Lawrence scored an unbeaten 22-ball 57 to contribute to Essex’s huge total. Chasing a target of 227, Surrey got off to a flier with openers Will Jacks and Australian opener Aaron Finch going all guns blazing. But Surrey lost four wickets for just one run, derailing their run chase.
“I just tried to see ball, hit ball and take it from there.”
🗣️ @Cam12Delport speaks to Essex Cricket TV after smashing 129 runs from just 49 balls as Essex Eagles beat Surrey by 52 runs!
Full Interview https://t.co/0g9lzVXjlq#SoarWithUs 🦅 pic.twitter.com/gsxrwx1oFP
— Essex Cricket (@EssexCricket) July 19, 2019
Jordan Clark and Rory Burns tried to revive the run chase. From 86 for 6, they took the total to 165 for 7 sharing a partnership of 79 runs for the seventh wicket. Clark, Burns scored 45 and 47 respectively but the required run rate was too high for them to keep up with him. Surrey scored 174 for 7 in 15 overs as they lost the game by 52 runs.
Essex have won one out of their two games in the T20 Blast so far. They lost the opening match to Middlesex, thanks to T20 Blast debutant AB de Villiers’ whirlwind innings.
