Five straight wins have put Surrey on course for the Vitality Blast quarter-finals.

Their stuttering start – losing two out of the first three T20 encounters – has given way to an increasingly confident outlook, putting them second in the South Group, four points behind leaders Somerset but with a gap of six opening up to Sussex and Kent in third and fourth places.

Three wins in four days last week concluded the first stage of the Blast qualifiers, Surrey restarting their campaign on Sunday, July 6, against Essex at the Kia Oval after playing Durham at home in Rothesay County Championship Division One.

They will hope to resume in the same form which brought comfortable wins over Hampshire, Sussex and Middlesex, the latter in front of a full house at The Oval which saw their northern neighbours banished by 75 runs.

That was built around a scintillating innings of 97 in 56 balls from Will Jacks, which included ten fours and five sixes. He dominated an opening stand of 89 in 8.4 overs with Dominic Sibley (27) and set the home side on their way to 194 for eight.

Middlesex could be relieved it was not more, chipping away consistently and Sam Curran’s 26 was the next highest score.

But they never threatened to get close, New Zealand maestro Kane Williamson (26) and Ryan Higgins (27) holding up Surrey longest before they were bowled out for 119. Kiwi Mitchell Santner’s three for 25 was augmented by two wickets each from seamers Reece Topley, Tom Curran and Nathan Smith.

Jacks finished it off and reckoned: “I enjoy playing against Middlesex. I think they have got an attack which suits me.”

And he added: “Overall I was very pleased with the tempo of my innings – I played the conditions well where I played the long game rather than just continuing to bash it after the powerplay.”

The only downside for the hosts came when Chris Jordan suffered concussion attempting an acrobatic catch.

Three nights earlier, Surrey had avenged defeat by Hampshire earlier in the competition with a 69-run victory at the Utilita Bowl.

Jacks (41) and Sibley’s 70 from 46 put on 74 in 7.3 after being sent in, skipper Sam Curran’s 38 the next best in driving his side to a highly competitive 193 for six. Topley (two for 24) then celebrated his return from injury by catching the dangerous Lhuan-dre Pretorious off Jacks for 26 and removing James Vince (nine) as Hampshire subsided to 124 all out, New Zealand seamer Smith’s three for 18 and two wickets apiece from Jordan and Mitchell Santner finishing the job.

Back on home ground, against Sussex, Jacks (43) and Sibley (45) produced another fine start of 52 from 4.5 overs, Sam Curran’s 38 a useful contribution but the scene being stolen by 20-year-old left-hander Ollie Sykes. His 44 from 18 balls in the closing stages included four sixes, three of them in one over from spinner James Coles which lifted the hosts to 210 for six. Sussex were in trouble from the start at 14 for three, Topley underlining his international class by claiming two of them on the way to three for 34.

Although Tom Clark’s 45 in 25 rallied Sussex and Danny Lamb’s 49 delayed the end, they were bowled out for 162 to be beaten by 48 runs, Santner taking three for 26.

By Richard Spiller