Surrey's derby triumph delights 21,000

Surrey 173 for 7 (Roy 35, Ansari 34*, Rayner 3-23) beat Middlesex 144 (Franklin 39, Rampaul 3-21) by 29 runs
Scorecard

On nights such as these, domestic T20 has the feel of being casino cricket. The house always wins. The London derby has become one of the most lucrative games in the county calendar and Surrey would have been tempted to give themselves a pat on the back before a ball was bowled at the Kia Oval. The threat of rain only materialised briefly beforehand, delaying the start time as well as possibly sending a few more people to the bar, and the ground was bouncing long before the chants to the tune of "Tom Hark" began as the home side closed in on victory.

When Surrey were routed for 93 by visiting Glamorgan a few weeks ago, nobody booed; this time, there may have been a few involuntary yelps of excitement let out when Middlesex's Brendon McCullum smashed his third ball into the crowd at deep midwicket. Surrey had looked vulnerable at 127 for 7 in the 17th over of their innings but somehow scrambled their way to setting a target of 174 and Middlesex were not equipped to sully the mood on this occasion.

In front of Sky's cameras, Jason Roy channelled the free spirit of England's run to the World T20 final in mauling 35 from 19 deliveries, which included hitting his international team-mate Steven Finn for 6-4-4. No one on either side could match that until James Franklin biffed 39 to keep Middlesex's faint hopes alive, which hinted at the skittish, adrenaline-fuelled nature of the contest. A 29-run win for Surrey was the cherry on top of a sizable cake.

Surrey's turnover on the night is estimated to be as high as £700,000, once ticketing, hospitality and catering are accounted for. By way of context, Leicestershire's entire annual income in 2015 was £3.5m. Surrey have long advocated the "appointment to view" scheduling that currently sees much of the NatWest T20 Blast played on Friday nights - something that is due to change again next year - but beyond the financial argument, the club believe that they have brought more than 150,000 new fans into the ground over the last five years.

This was English T20 scrubbed up and made to look its best - even if, in common with many of the Friday-night fun-seekers, it all ended up becoming a bit dishevelled by the end, as a streaker capered on the outfield with several off-guard stewards trailing in his wake. With more than 21,000 packed in on a clear evening, boozy roars reverberated around the great recumbent bowl of Kennington, the flamethrowers belched hazy orange plumes into the summer sky, and the stars took their turn to briefly sparkle.

Surrey's team sheet was arrayed with seven full internationals, including one of Test cricket's greatest batsmen in Kumar Sangakkara and a reigning World T20 champion in Dwayne Bravo. Of the other four - Rory Burns, Ben Foakes, Tom and Sam Curran - it would not be a surprise if at least three went on to represent England at some stage. No wonder "The Rey" carry themselves like kings.

Middlesex could not quite compete on paper but they were still able call upon England's limited-overs captain, one of the country's premier fast bowlers, and a man who runs Sangakkara close in the international-cricketer-cum-national-figurehead stakes in McCullum. That is before you consider Dawid Malan, Middlesex's captain who was this week called into the England T20 squad. It was a night to forget for him, a foray with the ball in the 19th over in response to his side's slow over rate leaking 19 runs before a stilted innings of 11 culminated in a catch to deep square leg.

This was Surrey's first Friday night match of the season and their biggest event outside of England internationals. It was announced as a sell-out several hours before the game started (the shortfall in attendance caused by those who had bought tickets not turning up), even though its Category A status meant that an adult ticket could cost as much as £29.

The atmosphere provided by such a full house was a reminder of how T20 has both invigorated and jolted the game. There was a cup final feeling to the crowds thronging the Harleyford Road from Vauxhall, as city types jostled with groups of students, parents and children, young women, older couples. The windfall the format still promises is like that of a lottery winner whose life is sent spinning of its axis by previously unimagined riches.

The on-field offerings were, in truth, slightly modest but Surrey's innings was reinvigorated by Zafar Ansari and Tom Curran adding 46 from the final 22 balls to give their side a competitive total. McCullum was defeated by Ravi Rampaul's slower ball and Eoin Morgan holed out off Gareth Batty as Middlesex slipped to 58 for 5. They needed 46 from 13 balls when a man clad in little more than his underpants ran across the middle of the pitch and was then tackled on the outfield; not quite the Las Vegas finale but, by that stage, everyone had cashed in their chips.