DURHAM missed out on a place at the Vitality Blast finals day as a stand of 95 between Dominic Sibley and Sam Curran condemned them to a five-wicket quarter-final defeat at the hands of Surrey at The Oval.

Former England opener Sibley plundered 67 in 48 balls while Curran, who made a hundred earlier in the competition, hit 52 in 34 balls, including four sixes as the hosts chased down a target of 163 with 12 balls to spare.

The fact they needed so many was credit to the visitors who fought back from 69-6 thanks to 37 from Michael Jones, 24 in 15 from Bas de Leede and a gem of a cameo from Ben Raine (23 from eight balls) to post 162-8. Dan Worrall 2-14 and Reece Topley 2-20 wreaked havoc in the powerplay for Surrey.

Thanks to Worrall and Topley, Surrey dominated early on. Durham’s leading scorer in the competition, Graham Clark, spooned the fifth ball from Worrall to Chris Jordan at extra cover and Ollie Robinson chewed up 11 balls swinging and missing before being bowled by Topley.

Worrall cleaned up Alex Lees with a brute of a yorker and although Brydon Carse struck his first ball over the ropes, he left soon afterwards edging Topley to wicketkeeper Burns.

Colin Ackerman was run out by a brilliant direct hit from Sam Curran and when Ashton Turner’s brief counter-attack (26 from 21) was ended by Dom Sibley’s catch at deep square Durham were 69-6 in the 13th over.

Scottish international Jones hit back, clubbing Jordan over extra cover for six. De Leede, who survived a bungled run out attempt by Burns, followed suit as the pair raised a 50-stand in 30 balls before Sam Curran bowled de Leede off his pads.

Jones though kept swinging and Raine twice cleared the ropes in the final over before being bowled by Jordan to take the visitors to 162.  

Buoyed by taking 92 from the last seven, Durham began well in the field, Carse striking twice in five balls to remove first the dangerous Will Jacks and then Laurie Evans caught at slip.

Two men who not so long ago were opening for England, Rory Burns and Sibley, were trusted with steadying the ship and the latter defied his reputation as something of a plodder with four boundaries in the powerplay.

The introduction of spin for the first time on the night in the shape of Callum Parkinson was the undoing of Burns, who hoisted him to safe hands in the deep.

Sam Curran joined Sibley as the run rate rose, 30 balls ticking by without a boundary before the former broke the shackles with a huge six off Nathan Sowter. Parkinson was similarly despatched.

De Leede spurned the chance to take the England all-rounder’s scalp when he dropped a tough caught and bowled chance with Curran on 31 and with that the hosts assumed complete command.

Sibley went to 50 with a glorious six over mid-on before Curran struck a delivery from Sowter almost clean out of The Oval.

Only 15 were needed when Sibley fell and though Curran too left before the end, Surrey got home comfortably.