SURREY V NORTHAMPTONSHIRE at the Kia Oval (Vitality Blast QF)
3 SEPTEMBER 2025

The South Group winners host fourth in the North Group. After losing two of their first three games, Surrey come into this contest on a run of 10 T20 wins out of 11. Northants, however, spluttered after opening this year's Blast with 6 successive victories. Since then, the Steelbacks have won just 2 out of 8.

Northamptonshire's strength lies in their batting depth, which is packed with big hitters. Indeed, five of the visitors' possible quarter-final line-up have strike rates in excess of 145 runs per 100 balls this term. It would be six if South Africa's Matthew Breetzke was available. Much will rest, therefore, on the shoulders of David Willey (452 runs at 32.28 in this summer's T20 Blast), Ravi Bopara (348 at 34.80), Ricardo Vasconcelos (323 at 24.84) and Saif Zaib (282 at 31.33).

The bowling has struggled, at times, in terms of economy. That said, Ben Sanderson (24 victims at an average of 16.87), George Scrimshaw (23 at 21.13) and Willey (19 at 23.15) should ensure wickets fall at regular intervals. The spin threat will come in the shape of the former Australia Under-19 leggie Lloyd Pope, whose CV includes 40 Big Bash outings for Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Sixers.

Surrey v Northamptonshire - T20 Records Sheet

Dan Lawrence (3,486) and Chris Jordan (2,471) are approaching 3,500 and 2,500 T20 career runs. Laurie Evans needs one more catch for 150 in T20 cricket. Turning to Northants... If he plays, Stuart van der Merwe, 20, will be making his T20 debut. Luke Proctor will be making his 50th T20 appearance and Ricardo Vasconcelos (1,485) is closing in on 1,500 T20 runs.

Surrey will be without any overseas representation, on top of which Will Jacks, Jamie Overton and Jamie Smith are on England white-ball duty.

Let's hope the controversy of previous T20 quarter-finals involving Surrey is avoided. Remember what was thought to be a win on D/L turning into a bowl-out, in 2005, Gareth Batty being accused of barging into Somerset's Peter Trego in 2013 and Rory Burns' catch that wasn't a catch to dismiss Warwickshire's Grant Elliott eight years ago? The weather forecast is the main concern, however. They're saying expect thunderstorms during the lead-up. Prediction - Surrey should win, but will the absence of some of the players who took them to this point prove costly?

R.Vasconcelos, T.Robinson, D.Willey (capt), S.Zaib, R.Bopara, J.Broad, L.McManus (wk), L.Proctor, B.Sanderson, G.Scrimshaw and L.Pope.

Ian Blackwell and Rob White.

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