Surrey host Sussex Sharks in a South Group LONDON vs SUSSEX derby in the 89th Match of the Vitality Blast 2026 at The Oval, London on Wednesday, July 8 at 11:00 PM IST (6:30 PM local). Surrey are 2nd in the South Group (5W from 9, 20 pts) and fighting for a quarter-final spot.
Sussex are BOTTOM (1W from 9, 6 pts after 2-POINT DEDUCTION) and have lost their last 4 matches. Surrey have won the last 4 H2H matches vs Sussex. Dan Lawrence has been BRILLIANT (206 runs at avg 41.2, SR 156 + 6 wickets at 13).
Philippe continues to impress after arriving from Australia. Hughes leads Sussex’s run-scoring (266 runs) but has had little support. Gus Atkinson RETURNS to Surrey’s squad. This is a mismatch on paper. Surrey are HEAVY favourites at HOME.
SUR vs SUS Match Details
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Surrey vs Sussex Sharks, 89th Match, South Group |
| Series | Vitality Blast 2026. SUR: 2nd (5W/9, 20 pts, QF contention). SUS: 6th/BOTTOM (1W/9, 6 pts, 2-pt deduction, virtually eliminated). SUR won the last 4 H2H. |
| Date | Wednesday, 8 July 2026 (Evening, under lights). Double header: SUR Women vs WAS Women at 2pm first. |
| Time | 11:00 PM IST / 6:30 PM BST local; toss 30 minutes earlier |
| Venue | The Oval, Kennington, London. Surrey’s HOME fortress. Batting-friendly. Chasing preferred. |
| Format | 20 overs per side |
| Captains | Ollie Pope (Surrey), Tymal Mills (Sussex) |
| Form | SUR: 2nd. Won 2 in a row before 57-run loss to Gloucestershire. Lawrence 206 runs SR 156 + 6 wkts avg 13. Philippe is brilliant. Topley leading bowler. Atkinson RETURNS. Won last 4 vs SUS.SUS: BOTTOM. 2-pt ECB deduction. Lost LAST 4 matches. Hughes 266 runs (top scorer). Ward 192 runs SR 182. Mills 12 wkts in 9 games (leading bowler). Coles £390k Hundred pick. |
Dream11 Team For SUR vs SUS, 89th Match
| Player | Team | Role | Key Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Lawrence | SUR | Captain / AR | Captain pick. 206 runs SR 156 + 6 wkts avg 13. FORM player of the Blast. At 2x. Batting + bowling. Must-pick. |
| Daniel Hughes | SUS | VC / Batter | Vice-Captain pick. 266 runs. SUS leading scorer. AUS overseas. At 1.5x. SUS’s most reliable batter. |
| Reece Topley | SUR | Bowler | SUR’s leading wicket-taker. Left-arm swing. Powerplay specialist. Consistent breakthroughs. Key pace option. |
| Josh Philippe | SUR | WK / Batter | AUS WK. Consecutive 50s since joining. Aggressive top-order batter. Immediate impact. WK bonus points. |
| Tymal Mills | SUS | Bowler | 12 wkts in 9 games. SUS captain. Express pace. T20 specialist. SUS’s LEADING and most consistent bowler. |
Pitch Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Venue | The Oval, Kennington, London. Surrey’s HOME. Hosted Women’s T20 WC semi-finals. |
| Pitch Type | BATTING-FRIENDLY surface. Good bounce, true carry. Short square boundaries (~58m). Ball comes onto the bat. Conditions improve for batting in the second innings. |
| Scoring | 170–185 average 1st innings score. Surrey scored 213/6 vs Lancashire here. 175+ is competitive. Below 160 is risky. High-scoring venue. |
| Pace vs Spin | PACE: Avg 26.73, eco 9.17, wkt every 17.4 balls. SPIN: Avg 25.28, eco 8.81, wkt every 17.2 balls. Spin slightly better numbers. Jacks off-spin + Lawrence bowling effective in middle overs. |
| Toss Factor | Bowl first PREFERRED. Chasing teams have been successful at The Oval. Conditions improve for batting in the 2nd innings. Both captains will bowl first. |
Weather Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 18–32°C (64–90°F). WARM London day turning cooler in the evening. |
| Sky | Predominantly cloudy. Narrow chance of light showers. |
| Rain Chance | Low. Mostly dry. Full match guaranteed despite cloud cover. |
| Humidity | Moderate. Cloud cover may assist swing bowlers early. |
| Overall | Good conditions for evening T20. Full match expected. The Oval crowd will be strong for the double header. |
SUR vs SUS 89th Match Toss Prediction
Chasing teams have been successful at The Oval. Conditions improve in the second innings. The toss winner will bowl first and chase under lights.
If Ollie Pope (Surrey) wins, he bowls first. Deploy Topley (left-arm swing) + Abbott + Jordan with the new ball against Hughes (266 runs) + Ward (SR 182). Then Lawrence (6 wkts avg 13) + Jacks (off-spin) through the middle overs. Restrict SUS below 155. Then Roy + Philippe (consecutive 50s) + Evans open aggressively. Then Lawrence + Pope + Curran chase at HOME. Surrey won last 4 vs SUS. They should win AGAIN.
If Tymal Mills (Sussex) wins, he bowls first. Deploy his OWN express pace + Abbott + Hunt against Roy + Philippe under Oval lights. Then Coles (£390k Hundred pick) + Briggs spin through SUR’s middle order. Restrict Surrey below 170. Then Hughes (266 runs) + Ward (SR 182) + Simpson chase. SUS have lost 4 in a row and need SOMETHING to change. Nothing to lose = FREEDOM to play.
Injury and Team News
Surrey:
Surrey are 2nd in South Group with 20 points. Won 2 consecutive before losing to Gloucestershire by 57 runs (D’Arcy Short’s 92* destroyed them). Lawrence has 206 runs SR 156 + 6 wickets at avg 13 (BEST all-rounder in the Blast). Philippe hit consecutive 50s since joining.
Roy is a consistent opener. Topley leads the bowling attack with left-arm swing. Gus Atkinson RETURNS to the squad. Jordan adds T20 specialist experience (130+ intl T20 wkts). Abbott provides AUS pace AR depth. Surrey have the STRONGEST squad depth in the South Group.
Sussex Sharks:
Sussex are BOTTOM of the South Group. 1 win from 9. 6 points (2-pt ECB DEDUCTION). LOST their last 4 matches and are virtually eliminated from QF contention. Hughes leads with 266 runs (AUS overseas, consistent but lonely). Ward has 192 runs in 6 innings at SR 182.85 (explosive opener).
Mills has 12 wickets in 9 games (captain, express pace, T20 specialist). Coles is the £390k Hundred pick and a potential match-winner. SUS were DEDUCTED 2 points after agreeing to a financial support package from the ECB. They have nothing to lose.
