Hopefully it'll be worth the wait...

Ricardo Vasconcelos and skipper David Willey will open the batting for the Steelbacks... aggressive.

4.1 over powerplay coming up, three overs per bowler.

Ready? Let's go...

Andrew Radd
BBC Radio Northampton

I would imagine that Surrey will take big risks against Lloyd Pope from his very first ball.

I feel they may just run at him to take him down.

Image source, Getty Images

Darren Lehmann has urged his Northamptonshire Steelbacks side to create their own history as they look to break an unwanted 26-year-old record tonight.

The quarter-final against Surrey presents Northants with the chance to win at The Oval for the first time since 1999.

The Steelbacks stormed to victory over Surrey at Edgbaston in the 2013 final but SE11 has not been a happy hunting ground for them.

"Records are there to be broken and for us it's about creating our own history," the former Australia batter, 55, told BBC Radio Northampton.

"That's the buzz. Yes, they've got superstars in their side - they are a quality side - but on any given day, you can beat anyone.

"Funny things happen in cricket."

Image source, Getty Images

Surrey batter Will Jacks has already passed the 500-run mark in this year’s competition, hitting four half-centuries and a 59-ball century in the final group game against Sussex.

His 504 runs from just 10 innings is the fourth-highest mark in the group stage, 47 shy of leading scorer D'Arcy Short, from four fewer knocks than his rivals, however he is not available for selection tonight due to his involvement in England's ODI series against South Africa, which also rules keeper-batter Jamie Smith out.

Northants’ captain, all-rounder David Willey, is seventh on the list with 452 runs from 14 innings at an average of 32.28.

Steelbacks paceman Ben Sanderson has the third most wickets in the competition, picking up 24 scalps in 14 innings at an average of 16.87, thanks in large part to his career-best 6-8 burst, including a hat-trick, which sealed victory over Worcestershire in June.

He is one of just seven bowlers to have picked up more than Surrey skipper Sam Curran who has taken 21 at 16.42.

Andrew Radd
BBC Radio Northampton

We can all think of someone who has made a name of himself in cricket having got a chance due to illness or injury to a team-mate.

Someone like Rob Bailey who scored more runs for Northants than anyone else, got his big break in 1984 due to one of his teammates getting flu.

David Willey only opened in that 2013 final because of Kyle Coetzer injuring his wrist in the semi-final. Without that injury he would have batted six and his career could be quite different!

Surrey XI: Patel, Pope (wk), Roy, S Curran (c), Lawrence, Evans, T Curran, Jordan, Clark, Atkinson, Lawes.

Northamptonshire Steelbacks XI: Vasconcelos, Robinson, Bopara, Willey (c), Broad, Zaib, McManus (wk), Bartlett, Sanderson, Pope, Scrimshaw

Image source, Getty Images

In addition to England's Will Jacks and Jamie Smith, Australia international Adam Zampa and New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner and international team-mate Nathan Smith will not be available for Surrey tonight.

All-rounder Santner, 33, withdrew from The Hundred with injury having made seven appearances in the Blast, scoring 29 runs and taking 14 wickets at an average of 12.42.

Surrey said, external that "disappointingly" Zampa, 33, will miss out "as he's required for Cricket Australia commitments which we weren't made aware of when we signed him".

The spin bowler made four appearances, taking nine wickets at an average of 13.22.

Let's take a look at the teams then...

• Northants scored 237 or more three times in the group stages.
• This will be Surrey's 12th Blast knockouts appearance, 11th QF appearance (there were no QFs in 2003) and 9th home QF.
• 81% of Surrey's Blast QFs have been at home, a record beaten only by Notts (85%)
• It's the 4th year in a row Surrey have qualified for the QFs; they won their last 2.
• Surrey's QF record is 8 wins, 2 losses
• Surrey's home QF record is 6 wins, 2 losses
• Northants' last finals day appearance was in 2016, when they last won the tournament. {Only Leicestershire (2011) and Middlesex (2008) have been absent from finals day for longer, while Durham's last appearance was also in 2016.}
• Since 2016 Northants have reached 2 QFs (2020 & 2024), losing to Somerset at Northampton last year.
• It will be the second time Surrey and Northants meet in T20 cricket, and first time at the Oval.
• Their last meeting was the 2013 final at Edgbaston; Northants won by 102 runs (DL).
• Also don't forget it's (probably?) the first blast QF where both captains were born in the same town!

Big toss to win.... and Surrey have won it and will BOWL first in this quarter-final, reduced to 14 overs aside.

Good news!

If we get going we owe Mother Nature a debt of gratitude as a couple more heavy showers appeared to have skirted either side of Kennington in the past 20 minutes.

The toss will take place in about five minutes.

14 overs a side.

We, like you, are still waiting on the outcome of the scheduled inspection, around 10 minutes ago.

We'll bring you news as soon as we have it.

Keep those fingers crossed...

Surrey leg-spinning all-rounder Cam Steel on BBC Radio London:

"I have always thought that the shorter the game gets, the less out and out skill is required to win the game.

"I feel Surrey are the more talented team here tonight.

"The longer the game the better for this Surrey team."

Image source, Getty Images

A shake-up to the domestic white-ball summer will take place in 2026, including a slimmed down Vitality Blast played in one block.

A review into the white-ball domestic structure led by the counties - in consultation with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) - recommended changes with an eye on player welfare and competition narrative.

From next summer the T20 Blast competition reduces the group stages by two games to 12 matches per side, with the quarter-finals and Finals Day following on directly so the competition is wrapped up in one block.

The two groups of nine sides will be replaced by three groups of six split into north, central and south groups as they were in 2020.

Click here for more on the outlook for 2026.

After a LOT of water was swept, squeegied and sucked off the covers, the ground staff have removed them and we can see the square.

Positive.

Quite how the outfield has dealt with the early-evening downpour on top of a day's rain remains to be seen in half-an-hour or so...

Image source, Getty Images

Northants, who won the Blast title in 2013 and 2016, qualified for the last eight by finishing fourth in North Group, while Surrey topped South Group but have not won the tournament since its inaugural year in 2003.

The Steelbacks made a blistering start to the white-ball summer, winning their first six matches to sit top of North Group but then lost their next five, eventually needing to win two of their final three games just to secure their quarter-final spot.

Surrey lost two of their opening three South Group fixtures but went on a run of five straight victories and then finished the group stage with another five wins in a row, which included a thumping win over Somerset which ensured they finished in top spot, ahead of Somerset on net run-rate, with both sides 14 points ahead of Hampshire in a distant third.

Wednesday

Surrey v Northants Steelbacks - inspection at 19:15

Friday

Durham v Hampshire Hawks

Saturday

Lancashire Lightning v Kent Spitfires (14:30)

Somerset v Bears

Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

This does of course mean we won't be seeing a T20 match tonight, however...

Good evening.

Autumn is here, it's wet, windy and wild out there, which can only mean one thing, time for some knock-out T20 cricket.

After getting a soaking throughout the day and in the past hour the covers are mercifully starting to come off at The Oval.

But we will have a delayed start and potentially a shortened match in the first of four T20 Blast quarter-finals this week as star-studded Surrey seek to end their 22-year hoodoo in this competition against two-time winners Northants.

Plenty to bring you up to speed with before the first ball is bowled, so let's crack on...