"WE have got some hard work to do," was Lewis Gregory's verdict, after Somerset suffered a second successive home defeat at the start of this season's Vitality Blast competition.

Beaten by Essex in their T20 opener on Wednesday night, Somerset were humbled by seven wickets against Surrey, as Laurie Evans and Sam Curran blitzed a century stand at the Cooper Associates County Ground.

The home side posted 187-6 after losing the toss, Tom Abell leading the way with 69 off 44 balls, while Gareth Batty claimed 1-26 for the visitors.

In reply, Surrey breezed to 188-3 with four overs to spare, Evans striking two sixes and eight fours in his 65, while Curran’s career-best 72* featured six maximums and five fours.

Their third-wicket partnership added 104 in just 8.5 overs, and sent Somerset crashing to an embarrassing defeat.

Tom Banton fell in the first over of the home side’s innings, caught at short third-man off Sam Curran.

Will Smeed smote two sixes and two fours in his 23, adding 41 with Hildreth before falling to Matt Dunn in the fifth over.

Former Somerset player Jamie Overton conceded 15 off the sixth over as Hildreth notched three successive boundaries, and at the end of the power play the scoreboard read 63-2.

Hildreth fell lbw for 31 looking to flick Batty to leg, forcing Abell and Eddie Byrom to regroup.

They took the score to 101 in the 12th over, before Byrom (14) was caught off Tom Curran, and the same bowler soon accounted for Gregory.

Abell combined textbook shots with two boundaries from ramp shots and one from a reverse sweep in moving to a 34-ball fifty, with seven fours, before producing the shot of the innings by hitting Tom Curran for a straight six.

Abell was dismissed by Jordan Clark in the 18th over, however, and - despite Ben Green’s 24* - Somerset’s total looked below par.

After a good opening over from Jack Brooks, Surrey’s reply was boosted by two no-balls from Marchant de Lange in a second over that saw him concede 22, including a Jason Roy six.

Josh Davey struck with his first ball, having Will Jacks caught at cover, but a poor fourth over from Gregory saw Surrey end it with 52 already on the board.

Roy cruised to 30 off 14 balls before skying a leading edge off Davey (2-31) to wicketkeeper Banton, but after six overs Surrey were well placed on 73-2.

Evans looked in prime form, lifting Gregory over mid-wicket for six as Somerset’s undisciplined bowling continued, and the hundred came up in eight overs.

He went to a quality fifty off 26 balls, while Curran blasted Waller for four and then six, before surviving a caught and bowled chance in the 12th over, and moved to his half-century off 25 deliveries.

Evans fell to de Lange, but Curran was unstoppable and ended proceedings with a four.

Gregory, Somerset's T20 skipper, reflected afterwards: "It was very disappointing.

"We weren’t really at the races, our skill levels aren’t up to where they need to be and we have got some hard work to do.

"Scores of 185 aren't normally quite enough here, and if you add our bowling performances over the two games then it's not stacking up on our side

"Tom Abell is a high-quality performer in all formats and showed that again today.

"If he’d had a little support either side of him, we might have got to 200 plus."

Somerset will aim to secure a first win of the T20 campaign when they entertain Kent Spitfires this coming Tuesday (6.30pm).