Will Jacks is yet to score a half-century or century for England in 26 T20 internationals
England white-ball batter Will Jacks provided the Friday night fireworks in the T20 Blast as Surrey hammered Middlesex by 75 runs at the Kia Oval.
In front of a packed crowd, Jacks hit 97 off 56 balls, with five sixes, as Surrey enjoyed a third win in four nights.
They stay second in the South Group, four points behind leaders Somerset who made it seven wins out of eight with a six-wicket success over Glamorgan.
Northamptonshire remain top of the North Group, but it is now back-to-back defeats after they lost by 24 runs to Nottinghamshire Outlaws.
Lancashire jumped up to second as they smashed a huge 243-7 against Derbyshire in an emphatic 80-run victory, while Durham beat Yorkshire by 63 runs.
In the best game of the night, Gloucestershire beat Hampshire by two wickets off the last ball of the game, while Bears had a thrilling one-wicket win over Worcestershire at Edgbaston, also in the final over.
But spare a thought for Essex, who remain winless after losing by 47 runs at home to Kent.
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Runners-up last year and winners in 2023, Somerset's T20 pedigree was again in evidence at Sophia Gardens.
The seam attack of Matt Henry, Riley Meredith and captain Lewis Gregory reduced Glamorgan to 49-5 in the ninth over and the innings did not recover.
A total of 130-9 never looked to be enough as T20 specialist Tom Kohler-Cadmore hit 38, with Gregory scoring the winning run with 20 balls to spare.
Middlesex captain Stevie Eskinazi had asked Surrey to bat first in the London derby and he must have regretted it when Jacks was hitting to all parts.
He fell three short of his hundred and the loss of wickets in the latter overs kept the score to 194-8.
In reply, Middlesex lost wickets at regular intervals, with New Zealand white-ball skipper Mitchell Santner impressing with 3-25.
But it was left to Jacks to grab the last wicket as Surrey bowled their rivals out for just 119.
Essex opted to chase at Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, in Chelmsford, in search of that elusive win, but they watched Kent opener Tawenda Muyeye strike his maiden T20 century with 100 off 59 balls as they racked up an imposing 219-3.
Dean Elgar struck 50, but Matt Parkinson produced his T20 best figures of 5-23 to leave the chase in tatters.
T20 captain Simon Harmer smashed four successive sixes as he hit 55 off 21 balls before he was last man out as they were bowled out for 172.
Gloucestershire's defence of their T20 crown began with six straight losses, but they made it two wins in a row in a Bristol thriller.
David Payne starred with the ball taking 3-20 as Hampshire were squeezed to 124-9.
But despite D'Arcy Short's 49, things got tense as Liam Dawson and Benny Howell slowed up the scoring, and with three needed off Chris Wood's final over and then one off the last ball, Payne hit it for six to secure victory.
Friday night's T20 scorecards
Northamptonshire opened the T20 season with six straight wins, five of which were achieved by batting first.
Nottinghamshire decided to bat themselves and despite losing wickets, Tom Moores' 53 helped them to 164-8.
Wickets in successive overs from England Lions leg-spinner Farhan Ahmed put the Outlaws on top as Northants slipped to 45-4 inside nine overs.
That put them in trouble and they were always second best, eventually all out for 140 in the final over.
The Midlands derby at Edgbaston provided the drama even though visitors Worcestershire were bowled out for 134 in the 19th over batting first as Dan Mousley took 4-19 for Bears.
Alex Davies hit 42, but his wicket to Fateh Singh (3-18) and then two in two balls from the slow left-armer left the hosts in big trouble at 86-6.
However, Sam Hain played a match-winning knock of 38 not out as he guided the tail through with just one wicket and three balls to spare.
Meeting for the second time in six days, Yorkshire invited Durham to bat at Chester-le-Street with opener Graham Clark hitting 53, before New Zealand white-ball specialist Jimmy Neesham provided a fine 42 not out from 21 balls to take the score to 193-4.
Yorkshire needed a big innings to get close, but nobody bettered Adam Lyth's 38, with four Durham bowlers claiming two wickets each to bowl out their opponents for 130 in the 18th over.
Luke Wells plundered a club record eight sixes in a Lancashire T20 innings as he top-scored with 83 in his side's huge total against Derbyshire, while Matty Hurst smashed 59 off only 29 balls.
Australian Caleb Jewell was last man out for 65 as the hosts were bowled out for 163 in reply, and they stay bottom of the group as the competition now takes a two-week break.
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T20 Blast: Jacks stars for Surrey; Glos and Bears win thrillers – BBC
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