Sunday 18 September 2011

Surrey win CB40



The Surrey Lions have beaten Somerset at Lord’s to win the Clydesdale Bank 40, by 5 wickets via the Duckworth Lewis method.

At 11:00, Rory Hamilton- Brown and Marcus Trescothick walked out to the middle for the toss. Trescothick called correctly and elected to bat. And he and Craig Kieswetter opened up half an hour later, and after a couple of tight overs from Matt Spriegel and Yasir Arafat, they started to play their shots. After driving Arafat through the off side for 4, Trescothick danced down the track and put Spriegel back over his head for 4. However, Spriegel had his revenge, and Surrey had their first wicket, when Trescothick came down again to Spriegel, but the ball gripped and turned, and Steven Davies whipped off the bails, the Somerset skipper gone for 15.

Things got even better for Surrey, when Kieswetter looked to pull Arafat, but could only top edge high into the air, and Davies took a steepling catch. 36-2, and looking to rebuild. Peter Trego and Nick Compton tried to do that, with the former playing his usual aggressive way, but on 16, he tried to pull Jade Dernbach, and could only find Zafar Ansari, who took a good running catch at fine leg.

Somerset were then on even more trouble when James Hildreth was bowled by Chris Schofield, with a ball that didn’t turn. And Somerset were 5 down for 79, when Arul Suppiah was trapped in front by Gareth Batty, and Surrey were looking to bowl Somerset out for a below par score. However, Jos Buttler had other ideas, playing sensibly with Nick Compton, but still knocking the score along at a good run rate.

However, Zafar Ansari then had his first wicket, when Compton went for the reverse sweep, but missed it and was bowled for 26. Buttler carried on though playing some delightful shots, but lost another partner when Craig Meschede was well caught & bowled by Gareth Batty. Somerset, 146-7, and struggling to get to 200. Buttler then brought up his fifty, with a cut off Ansari, which came off 48 balls, and was turning out to be a real gem of an innings.

Alfonso Thomas supported Buttler, until he was caught behind off the bowling of Jade Dernbach. Murali Kartik came to the crease and helped Somerset up to 200, before he was bowled by a Dernbach full toss. After hitting a couple more lusty blows, Buttler’s great innings ended on 86, when Dernbach bowled him. Somerset 214 all out, and Dernbach finishing with figures of 4-30.

Rory Hamilton- Brown and Steven Davies started the Surrey innings off quietly, in front of some tight Somerset bowling. And they lost an early wicket, when Davies looked to pull Kirby, but could only find Murali Kartik at midwicket. Jason Roy joined his captain at the crease, as the rain started to fall. It got gradually heavier, but the umpires let play carry on, to Roy’s dismay, when he was caught behind off Kirby. Adding insult to injury, the umpires immediately took the players off, with the rain seemingly not heavier than before the ball was bowled.

The players weren’t off long though, and Tom Maynard came to the crease hitting a boundary with just his second delivery. But the rain returned, with Surrey 46-2, and this time the break was longer. After various start times were announced, with the rain returning seemingly when the players were just about to go out, Surrey did restart at 4.45, with them needing 186 for victory, off of 30 overs.

After ticking the score on quite nicely, Maynard was caught behind for 17 off the bowling of Suppiah, with Surrey still needing 109 to win. Chris Schofield, as he has done this season, was promoted up the order, and was perfect foil for Hamilton- Brown, with them both finding the gaps with ease, and hitting the bad ball for 4, knowing the run rate wasn’t very high. Hamilton- Brown then brought up his fifty, which was fluent as always, and was a true captain’s knock,

However, with Surrey still 50 away from victory, Schofield looked to whip Thomas into the leg side, and was caught by Trescothick for a well made 26. Zander de Bruyn joined his skipper, and played sensibly as usual, with the run rate down at 5 an over. But, on 78, Hamilton- Brown was sent back by de Bruyn, after going for a single, and Buttler run him out with 39 still required. It was a truely fantastic innings from the captain, and had taken his sided close to victory.

Matthew Spriegel, as he has done so often in this competition this year, looked very good at the crease, and used the extra aggression he has added to his game, to take his side to victory. Needing 5 to win, Spriegel pulled Kirby for four, and very next ball, a thick outside edge flew to the boundary and the celebrations started.



Surrey had won their first Lord’s final for ten years, and it was truly fitting that Spriegel hit the winning runs, after the great season he has had, averaging 53 in the competition.

The win capped of a perfect week for Surrey, who now head into the winter, knowing  they will be playing division 1 cricket next season, and they are the reigning champions of the Clydesdale Bank 40.

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