Sam Curran gets off the mark with a lovely cover drive through the puddles to the rope.

Eight runs off the over, but another wicket too.

Surrey are dealing in boundaries only thus far, with an extra too.

Cameron Steel
Surrey leg-spin allrounder on BBC R5LSX

I was just about to say how scary it must be stood up to the stumps to that.

I thought it had bowled him, but he hit it.

What a take.

It is a fantastic bit of work from Lewis McManus.

Ollie Pope is the new man for Surrey and David Willey gets one to wobble and nip past the outside edge and then beats the blade with another rising delivery.

Willey is in the zone early here.

Phil Rowe
BBC Radio Northampton

A pretty tame dismissal.

It did not really swing, he just clipped it all the way to the deep legside fielder.

Exactly what the Northants doctor ordered.

Right then, there has to be a reply, of course.

David Willey will take the first over, with Ryan Patel and Jason Roy in the middle.

Andrew Radd
BBC Radio Northampton

My goodness, that was as good as I have seen.

In 2016 Northants were 9-3 and managed to come back and win, (tonight they were 1-2) could it happen again?

Magical from Ravi Bopara this evening.

What a game, what an innings.

This could be one of the most famous nights in Northants' history.

Not quite ready to start the Surrey innings yet, still taking in that spectacle...

Ravi Bopara was born in May 1985. Giving hope to 40-somethings out there everywhere. Nothing is impossible.

Wake up tomorrow and seize the day... do what Ravi would do!

Phil Rowe
BBC Radio Northampton

What a wonderful reception from the Oval for that knock.

Ravi Bopara with one of the best T20 knocks that the Steelbacks have ever produced.

Goodness me.

Astonishing stuff.

I feel very lucky to have been here tonight to have witnessed it.

We have seen something incredibly special.

He was under so much pressure, and then could not have played that innings any better.

... having been 1-2 in the first over and 33-3 in the fifth over.

Ravi Bopara with 105* from 46 balls - a strike rate of 228 - and is being congratulated by all the Surrey players. Rightly so, you don't see things like this very often... ever, in fact. And not in a knockout match, on the road, at The Oval, in a paddling pool, having seen his side 1-2, surely?

If you have seen a better T20 innings please do tell us about it via the #bbccricket

Now that, in these sodden conditions, is an incredible return and has asked a serious question of heavy favourites Surrey.

Have they got a Bopara in their ranks tonight?

100 for Ravi Boparapublished at 13.5 overs

13.5 overs

Surrey v Northants 152-4

Image source, Getty Images

Absolutely astonishing stuff. Fine wine has nothing on Ravi Bopara.

A single for Saif Zaib off Tom Lawes is cheered to the rafters as it brings 40-year-old Bopara onto strike, seven shy of three figures.

Bopara gets bat on ball from the second ball and after being encouraged by the crowd to go back for a second, does.

Lawes responds with a yorker but then sends in a full toss which Bopara slaps away for a one bounce four to deep backward point off his back foot.

99*

And he gets it with a clip over fine leg for another boundary.

His third T20 century from 45 balls with 12 fours and five sixes.

Incredible. Drink it in.

Sam Curran comes back for his third and final over.

Saif Zaib slaps a single down the ground from the first ball before Ravi Bopara takes a huge swing and misses the second. Useful dot ball.

He gets hold of the next one though, walloping through the covers with such power that it beats the dive of Ryan Patel on the rope for another four which brings up the 50-stand with Zaib.

Bit of luck off the next ball as Bopara chops down into the ground, Zaib sets off for a single but is sent back, with Ollie Pope unable to get the ball back to Curran in time.

Bopara is unruffled and clobbers another six - his fifth - over a wide long-off. Only moved his arms. Strong man.

He finds the gap at deep mid-wicket for another four to finish the over to move to 93* from 41 balls.

Final over coming up.

Saif Zaib squirts a single off Chris Jordan before Ravi Bopara plays and misses at a cut, or does he? A strangled yell from Jordan is the only sound. But he wants a review. Wasted. Not particularly close.

Bopara drives a single to extra cover before Zaib misses an almighty pull attempt off a bouncer. Brave lad.

Zaib digs out a yorker for a single before Bopara slaps a straight four off the last ball.

Seven off the over. Timely that. Bopara has 79* from 36 balls.

Mark Church
BBC Radio London commentator

I said pre-match with Andrew Radd, there is one bloke if I was Surrey I would be worried about, and that is Ravi Bopara!

He loves this place and he loves a big crowd, with floodlights on and lots of people watching.

Image source, Getty Images

Tom Curran returns to the attack and his first ball is skied by Ravi Bopara, though Chris Jordan is unable to get a hand on it as he sprints round from mid-off behind the stumps.

Saif Zaib cuts pleasantly down to backward point for a single before Bopara launches the straightest six you'll ever see back over Curran's head. Still as you like.

The next ball is sliced, in stark contrast, but drops safe at backward point. He's riding his luck. And cashes in with another boundary from the final ball to move to 74* from 33 balls.

Tom Curran has 0-31 off two overs so far.

Tom Lawes comes into the attack and after a Ravi Bopara single, Saif Zaib welcomes him with a wonderful pull to the deep square leg boundary from a shorter ball.

It sparks a chat with skipper Sam Curran, but hold on... Surrey had three men in the circle, Tom Curran had abandoned post at short fine leg.

They seem to have got away with it though, the umpires didn't spot it in person. Steelbacks miss out on a free hit.

Lawes gets back to business drawing a play and miss from Zaib before he brings up the Northants 100 from the next ball, gloving down the leg side to the fine leg rope.

Zaib has 13*, Bopara is 59* with four overs to come.

Cameron Steel
Surrey all-rounder on Radio 5 Sports Extra

Surrey won't want Ravi Bopara facing too many of these deliveries.

Tom Lawes' first T20 Blast game of the summer.

Ravi Bopara gets a slice of luck as he top edges over third to the rope for another boundary.

Bopara has 58* with Saif Zaib on 1*.

10 runs off the over, but a wicket too.

Five overs remain for the Steelbacks in this rain-shortened game.

50 for Ravi Boparapublished at 8.3 overs

8.3 overs

Surrey v Northants 85-4

30 T20 half-centuries for the timeless Ravi Bopara, sweeping Clark away to the rope at backward square.

Five fours and three sixes for the 40-year-old former England all-rounder.