Sussex’s George Thomas said it was “awesome” to hit a T20 career-best half-century before a big crowd at The Kia Oval in the Vitality Blast.
But he accepted Sharks had no answer to Surrey opener Jason Roy as they suffered another heavy defeat.
Sixteen years after his first T20 hundred for the county, Roy – who is 36 later this month – showed his enduring class in this format with an unbeaten 103 off 58 balls and he passed 11,00 domestic T20 runs in the process.
Chasing 177, Roy and Josh Philippe broke the back of the chase with a second-wicket stand of 78.
Then Roy and Dan Lawrence reached the finishing line for an eight-wicket win with 16 deliveries to spare after adding 73 off just 38 balls.
The pair even had time to work the strike to ensure Roy got to three figures with the victory target moving close.
Roy did not offer a chance, hitting eight sixes – three of them off the competition’s leading wicket-taker Danny Briggs – before driving Sean Hunt to the long-off rope to secure victory with his sixth boundary.
It is getting very hard to find silver linings to Sussex’s Blast campaign but the innings by Thomas was one.
He said: “I really enjoyed it, getting my highest T20 score at the Oval in front of a big crowd. It was awesome.
“I was nervous so I was glad to get a couple away early on.
"Hitting the ball is the best way of getting confidence and I’m a momentum batter.
“When I’m putting the pressure back on the bowlers, I’m at my best.
“We were quite confident at halfway but it was a special knock by Jason Roy. Their chase was pretty much impeccable.”
Thomas scored his 57 off just 27 balls with six fours and three sixes.
He came in after Sussex’s leading run scorer Dan Hughes nibbled at Tom Lawes’ outswinger in the second over and went for his shots from the start to dominate a second-wicket stand of 75 from 42 balls with Harrison Ward (28).
Chris Jordan took 2-23 and bowled superbly in the second half of the innings with the wickets of Tom Alsop and Tom Price taking him to 450 in T20s.
At least Sussex batted their 20 overs for only the fourth time in ten games this season.
But once Thomas was caught on the cover boundary in the 11th over, they lost their way.
They were restricted to 42 between the 10th and 15th overs and, in the 16th, Charlie Tear on his Sussex T20 debut failed to score off the first five balls from Sean Abbott and was run out off the sixth.
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James Coles, released from the England T20 squad, made an unbeaten 42 but despite coming in during the ninth over he only faced 29 deliveries and on a good pitch Sussex’s 176-7 looked at least 20 short.
Sean Hunt had the ever-dangerous Laurie Evans held on the mid-wicket boundary in the fourth over of the reply.
But, when he dropped Josh Philippe at short fine leg with a single to his name, it was to prove costly.
Hunt had revenge of sorts when Philippe (31) ended up giving Tear a catch behind off an attempted ramp.
But the second-wicket stand of 78 in eight overs had given Surrey a platform and the exemplary Roy made sure they did not squander it.
Sussex visit Middlesex at Merchant Taylors' School on Friday and complete their home Blast schedule on Sunday when Hampshire visit Hove (2.30pm).
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