In an exhilarating match between Surrey and Kent in the South Group of English T20 cricket, Sean Abbott produced a remarkable performance, equaling Andrew Symonds’s long-standing record for the fastest T20 century. Surrey emerged victorious by 41 runs in their encounter at The Oval on Friday (May 26).
When Abbott walked in to bat, Surrey found themselves in a precarious situation at 64/4 in the ninth over. The team’s struggles continued as Jamie Smith departed in the 13th over, leaving them at 94 runs. Kent seemed to be in control, capitalizing on the slightly slow pitch. However, Abbott had other plans as he embarked on a monumental innings that etched his name into the record books.
With an extraordinary display of fearless hitting, Abbott decimated the Kent attack. His blistering knock resulted in a jaw-dropping 34-ball century, matching the record set by Andrew Symonds almost two decades ago. During the final eight overs of Surrey’s innings, 136 runs were plundered, including a sensational 30-run over off the bowling of fellow Australian, Kane Richardson. Abbott struck a remarkable 11 sixes and showed no mercy to any bowler who dared to challenge him.
In response, Kent initially appeared to be on track for victory, thanks to a brisk century partnership between their openers, Daniel Bell-Drummond and Tawanda Muyeye. However, once the partnership was broken, the chase quickly unraveled for Kent. Surrey’s formidable performance ensured that they continued their winning streak, making it two wins out of two to start the season.
The final scores were as follows: Surrey amassed an imposing total of 223/5 in their allotted 20 overs, with Abbott’s unbeaten 110 at the helm, well supported by Jordan Clark’s 29*. Kent managed 182/7 in their chase of the daunting target, with Muyeye contributing 59 runs and Bell-Drummond scoring 52. Surrey’s Will Jacks played a vital role, claiming two wickets for just seven runs.