Jade Dernbach and his Surrey team spent Thursday night nervously following scores in Canterbury and Bristol to see how they would impact their position in the race for qualification from the Vitality Blast South Group.
Wins for Kent, who qualified, and Sussex were not what they needed and leave them needing to beat Glamorgan in Cardiff on Friday and hope that cellar dwellers Middlesex can arrest their remarkable run of poor form — they suffered a seventh successive defeat on Thursday, against Essex, — and beat Sussex. That way, Surrey would sneak through in fourth place alongside Somerset, Kent and Gloucestershire.
Dernbach expects the do-or-die situation will bring the best out of his side on Friday. “Glamorgan are a very well organised side, with a special talent in Colin Ingram,” he said. “I am hoping the experience of our side in knockout cricket, which is what tonight is, will come to the fore. We have let ourselves down occasionally this season. Now it’s time to finish on a high.”
