CARDIFF, Wales, CMC – West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine etched his name in history here yesterday when he became only the third bowler to take 500 wickets in Twenty20s.
The 35-year-old claimed a single wicket for Surrey at Sophia Gardens to reach the magical mark, as the visitors beat Glamorgan by 65 runs in the T20 Blast.
Narine’s moment arrived at the start of his second over – the ninth of the innings – when South African left-hander Colin Ingram holed out to Sam Curran at deep mid-wicket, leaving the hosts on 75 for three in pursuit of 237 for victory.
The right-armer eventually finished with one for 34 from four overs as Glamorgan finished on 171 for eight from their 20 overs.
Narine’s fellow Trinidadian and former West Indies teammate, Dwayne Bravo, became the first bowler to reach 500 wickets in the shortest format and currently has 615.
Afghan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has taken an amazing 555 to lie second on the all-time list.
Overall, Narine has played 460 T20s but has not featured for West Indies in four years, and his international career now appears all but over.
He has taken 11 wickets in seven matches for Surrey so far this season but struggled in the Indian Premier League last month, finishing with only 11 wickets from 14 appearances.
On Wednesday, opener Laurie Evans lit up the Welsh capital with an unbeaten 118 off 60 balls as Surrey, choosing to bat first, posted an imposing 236 for two from their 20 overs.
The 35-year-old clobbered a dozen fours and half-dozen sixes, putting on 115 for the first wicket with Will Jacks (46) and a further 118 for the second wicket with Curran who bludgeoned a 29-ball 66, with a four and seven sixes.
Evans’s score was a venue record and the highest-ever against Glamorgan.
In reply, Glamorgan got 76 off 54 balls from Sam Northeast, the 33-year-old posting 33 for the first wicket with captain Kiran Carlson (22), 30 for the third wicket with Ingram (11) and 34 for the sixth wicket with Prem Sisodiya (11).
However, Barbados-born England seamer Chris Jordan (2-26), along with pacers Gus Atkinson (2-24) and Curran (2-36), all claimed two wickets each to hurt the run chase.
Surrey lie second in the South Group on 10 points, two behind leaders Somerset.
