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• Surrey record fourth highest T20 Blast total after scoring 258 in Sussex mauling

  Surrey recorded the fourth highest score in T20 Blast history after running up a massive 258 for six in their emphatic 124-run victory over Sussex at Hove.

  Laurie Evans led the way with 93 off 51 balls and shared in a 157-run second-wicket stand with with Sam Curran, who clubbed 68 off 35 deliveries. Jamie Overton maintained the impetus with a rapid 24 before Tom Curran smashed three sixes and two fours in an nine-ball 29.

  Sussex were never in a position to challenge despite Tom Clark’s 43 off 23 at the top of the order and they were bowled out in the 15th over as Surrey moved second behind Somerset in the South Group with their biggest T20 win.

  The leaders, who hold the Blast record with their 265 for five last season, were similarly comfortable 80-run winners over neighbours Gloucestershire.

  Opener Will Smeed struck eight sixes and eight fours in a 35-ball 94 to propel his side to 231 for four, which proved well beyond the reach of their hosts at Bristol.

  Essex also enjoyed a convincing victory at Glamorgan after Paul Walter’s career-best 78 off 34 saw them post 226 for nine and despite the hosts’ top three all getting into the 40s they could not maintain the momentum.

  Kent dented Hampshire’s hopes of keeping the pressure on the top two as they registered only their second victory of the summer as Daniel Bell-Drummond’s 89 off 55 saw them secure a six-wicket win with three balls to spare at Canterbury.

  Ben McDermott (57) and Joe Weatherley (67) put on 85 in eight overs in Hampshire’s total of 177 for seven but Jack Leaning hit the third ball of the final over to the boundary for victory.

  Shaheen Shah Afridi saw Notts Outlaws home against Derbyshire with a quick 14 off seven balls – including a towering six off Pakistan team-mate Zaman Khan – as they retained top spot in the North Group.

  Chasing the hosts’ 142 for six, Notts looked comfortable at 123 for five in the 17th over but the loss of Steven Mullaney ramped up the pressure until Afridi stepped up.

  The three-wicket win, their fourth in succession, left Derbyshire still looking for their first victory over their neighbours in this format since 2015.

  Moeen Ali, who came out of retirement to rejoin England’s Test squad this week, and Dan Mousley bowled Birmingham Bears to victory over Northamptonshire Steelbacks with three wickets apiece.

  Bears failed to complete their full allocation of overs as they were bowled out for 137 – Freddie Heldreich claiming four for 27 – but Northamptonshire were limited to 107 for nine in reply as Birmingham moved into second place.

  That was because Worcestershire Rapids came up 26 short in their high-scoring game against Yorkshire, for whom James Wharton scored 111 not out off 56 balls and shared in a second-wicket stand of 159 with Dawid Malan (79) as the Vikings amassed 224 for four at Headingley.

  Kashif Ali (48no) and Ben Cox (35) made a game of it with an 81-run stand for the fifth wicket but they could not get their side over the line, finishing on 198 for six as Jordan Thompson took four for 34.

  Leicestershire’s second win of the season was not enough to lift them off the foot of the table as they beat Durham by six wickets courtesy of a 149-run second-wicket alliance between Rishi Patel (104 off 49 balls) and Lewis Hill (54 not out).

  Australian Ashton Turner had accelerated Durham to 172 for four with a late unbeaten 60 but the Foxes won with 14 balls to spare.

• Marnus Labuschagne admits ‘hands just about hanging on’ after bruising Oval test

  Marnus Labuschagne emerged bruised but not beaten as Australia extended their advantage on day three of the World Test Championship final, admitting “my hands are just about hanging on”.

  Labuschagne, Test cricket’s number one ranked batter, is one of several batters who have been put through the ringer over the first three days at the Oval.

  On day one he suffered a nasty blow to his left thumb that required treatment and his second innings proved no gentler, with the Australia number three tossing his bat to the floor after another heavy blow to the glove.

  Labuschagne survived the examination, carving out an unbeaten 41 from 118 deliveries as Australia reached stumps 296 ahead on 123 for four.

  With the Ashes just a week away, an injury is the last thing anyone in the Australia dressing room wants to consider, and Labuschagne looks set to be battle-hardened by the time he takes on England at Edgbaston.

  “I’ve got good bone density. My hands are just about hanging on,” he told Test Match Special.

  “It is lively out there, and that does make it challenging when they bounce like that off a length, but that happens as a batter and you’ve just got to find a way through it.

  “We’re certainly not taking this game as Ashes preparation, but it is certainly handy to have a Test of this calibre before a very big series.”

  Labuschagne’s innings started in unusual fashion, with the 28-year-old appearing to nod off on the balcony while fully padded up.

  David Warner’s dismissal shortly before tea saw him wake with a start, but he showed no signs of drowsiness as he faced off with the Indian attack, reaching the interval intact and negotiating the full evening session as Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith and Travis Head fell around him.

  Team-mate Mitchell Starc explained: “I think he mentioned that when he came off actually, that he was just resting or having a little doze.

  “Obviously he’s able to switch on pretty quickly and he copped a few across the knuckles to wake him up. He’s done a very good job in that last session, fighting through some difficult situations to keep the scoreboard ticking over.”
  Starc, who picked up two wickets but saw his economy rate exceed five an over, admitted Australia had been off their game in the morning’s play.

  After Scott Boland struck with the second ball of the day they saw three catches go down, while Pat Cummins had a second wicket of the innings struck off for a no-ball.

  Australia were much improved after the break, jolted into life by an outstanding reaction catch from Cameron Green at gully.

  “Not too much was spoken, just the fact that we were probably a bit sloppy in that first session and to sharpen up,” said Starc.

  “The fact that we still took 10 wickets and created more than 10 chances throughout the first innings is a good sign but we’ve got plenty of room to improve and certainly get that rhythm back. We’ll be better for the run.”

  India all-rounder Shardul Thakur argued that his side were still in the contest, taking some heart from their own defeat by England at Edgbaston last year, when Ben Stokes’ men chased 378 with seven wickets in hand.

  “Cricket is a funny game. You never know who can handle the pressure better out there,” he said.

  “One good partnership and you can even chase down 450 or maybe more than that. Last year England chased almost 400 and did not lose too many wickets, so that’s a positive sign for us.”

• Athanaze, Sinclair star as West Indies beats UAE by four wickets to secure 3-0 series sweep

  Alick Athanaze and Kevin Sinclair played starring roles to help the West Indies beat the UAE by four wickets in the third ODI at Sharjah on Friday.

  The hosts, after winning the toss and choosing to bat, got off to an excellent start, reaching 142-2 inside 23 overs before the West Indies took control of proceedings.

  The UAE lost their final eight wickets for 42 runs to eventually be dismissed for 184 in just 36.1 overs. The bulk of the scoring was done by Vriitya Aravind who got a 75-ball 70 including eight fours and one six. Captain Muhammad Waseem also contributed 43.

  Kevin Sinclair was excellent in his 7.1 overs, taking a career-best 4-24 while Yannic Cariah took 2-34 from eight overs.

  The West Indies then lost six wickets on their way to 185 in 35.1 overs.

  The successful chase was led by debutant, Alick Athanaze, and Shamarh Brooks.

  Athanaze hit nine fours and three sixes on his way to a rapid 45-ball 65 at the top of the innings while Brooks made a composed 58-ball 39.

  The Dominican's fifty came off just 26 balls, tying the record for fastest ODI fifty by a debutant, equaling India's Krunal Pandya against England in 2021.

  Things got a bit tricky for the tourists when Karthik Meiyappan dismissed Keacy Carty (20) and Kavem Hodge (0) off consecutive balls in the 26th over to leave them 145-5.

  Stand-in captain, Roston Chase, who ended 27*, as well as Raymon Reifer (15) and Keemo Paul (2*) ensured the Windies avoided a historic collapse.

  Aayan Khan, Muhammad Jawadullah and Karthik Meiyappan all took a pair of wickets, each.