Surrey thrash Sussex to reach Lord's Final

Surrey are through to the final of the CB40 after beating Sussex by 71 runs today at Kia Oval, in a rain affected match.

The toss was delayed by 10 minutes but Rory Hamilton- Brown won it and elected to bat first.  However, the rain came and continued to frustrate the players, with heavy showers or persistant drizzle throughout the afternoon. But when it stopped, the groundsman did a brilliant job, and play started at 3.45pm, with the match reduced to 24 overs per side.

Rory Hamilton- Brown got off to a flier and along with Steven Davies, got Surrey off to a quick start. The captain played some brilliant shots but went in the 4^th over for 24 when he was caught behind off the bowling of Liddle.

It was the turn of Roy and Davies to turn up the heat, with the former hitting Parnell for a big six and the latter taking 19 off a Yardy over. But, in that over, Davies tried to flick Yardy into the leg side and was bowled. Sussex began to build pressure on the Surrey batsman and Jason Roy was bowled by Monty Panesar in the 12^th over for a well made 31. 110-3, and Schofield and Maynard, needing to rebuild.

And in the next over, Maynard hit a big six off of Nash over the leg side, continuing to tick Surrey along. And in Nash’s next over, Maynard repeated the shot, once again hitting the ball into the Peter May stand. And Maynard hit is 3^rd six of the day, this time off Panesar, putting the spinner into the OCS Stand, fifteen rows back. But in the same over, Schofield tried to slog sweep Panesar, but was bowled. Surrey 150-4 after 16 overs.

Zander de Bruyn joined Maynard and the pair, as they have done a lot this season, began to build a partnership as well as ticking the scoreboard along. Maynard then hit his 4^th six, over the Peter May stand, which brought up his 50 off of just 28 balls. And, Zander de Bruyn brought up the fifty partnership, as well as the Surrey 200 of the last ball of the 21^st over. But in the next over, Maynard tried to pull Liddle, but could only find Wayne Parnell who took a good catch. Maynard gone for 60 off just 33 balls.

And along with Matt Spriegel, de Bruyn took 17 off of the 23^rd over, with the former hitting the South African over midwicket for 6. But de Bruyn was bowled in the final over for a fantastic 43, by Chris Liddle. And after Matt Spriegel was lbw for 7, Surrey posted 228-7, off of their 24 overs.

Matthew Spriegel and Yasir Arafat opened up for Surrey and started well, only going for 10 in the first 2 overs. And after hitting a 4 of Spriegel, Prior looked to hit over the top but could only find Jason Roy at extra cover, and Surrey had made the perfect start.  And Spriegel was at it again in his next over when he took a great catch off of his own bowling, dismissing the dangerous Murray Goodwin.

Chris Nash and Ed Joyce got together and used all their experience to rebuild the innings as well as hitting boundaries at regular intervals, taking 14 off of Tim Linley’s first over. And the 50 partnership was brought up by Joyce off the last ball of the 9^th over, Sussex 75-2. But Batty had his revenge when in his next over, had Joyce trapped in front, and the Irishman had gone for a very good 47.

Michael Yardy and Chris Nash began to knock the spinners around for singles and two’s with the latter hitting the odd big shot.  But when the batting powerplay was taken in the 14^th over, Arafat returned and with the final ball of the over, mishit a slower ball and Hamilton- Brown took the catch at mid on. And in the next over, Gatting looked to hit Batty into the OCS stand but could only find the safe hands of Chris Schofield. 115-5 off 15 overs, requiring 114 more off 54 balls.

And things got worse for Sussex when Ben Brown was stumped off a Chris Schofield wide and Surrey were on top, but with Nash still there, anything can happen. And Nash brought up his fifty in the next over off just 36 balls. But Nash didn’t last much longer when he looked to hit Schofield over long, on but could only find Jason Roy who took a great catch.

And Schofield then thought that he had Amjad Khan stumped, but he wasn’t, it was counted as run out, but they all count and Surrey has almost won, with Sussex 143-8. And the match was over when Schofield got two in two balls, bowling Liddle and trapping Monty lbw first ball.

Sussex all out for 157, Surrey winning by 71 runs, and will now face Somerset in the final at Lords on Saturday 17^th September, looking for their first one day silverware since the Twenty20 cup in 2003.