Needing to face a minimum of ten overs for a result to be obtained, Scott Newman and James Benning made light of murky conditions and steady drizzle to smash 96 for the Brown Caps' first wicket and thus hand Surrey their first victory of the season in the Pro40 League. Just 19 more deliveries were possible before the rain had the final say.

Newman took control in the third over of the hosts' reply by drilling Tom Lungley through the off-side off the back foot for four and then hitting the ball straight back past the 28-year-old fast bowler. In the next over, the Surrey left-hander pulled and straight drove Graham Wagg for boundaries before cutting him, flat, for six.

Lungley's third over also went for fourteen as Benning got in on the act by hitting three successive boundaries, the third of which cleared the distant rope on the Harleyford Road side of the ground. Newman then brought up the fifty partnership with a sumptuous flick through mid-wicket for four off the first delivery of the sixth over.

That prompted the introduction of Boyd Rankin, whose first ball was sent whistling through cover by the left-hander, who deposited the Irishman's third delivery into the spectators based at backward square leg. In the eighth over Newman went to his half-century from just 28 balls with his third maximum, from a pull off Wagg.

Benning collected two boundaries in Rankin's second over, but then Newman departed to a stinging catch at extra cover off the bowling of Greg Smith. Stewart Walters perished not long afterwards, when Wagg clung on to an acrobatic effort at square leg. With the rain increasing in intensity, however, it was only a matter of time before the umpires conceded that it was too hazardous for play to continue.

Earlier, Derbyshire's total of 227-7 off 35 overs was built on Phil Weston's 72 off 79, which included eight fours. After Michael Dighton went to a catch at mid-wicket in the fifth over, Weston, in alliance with Travis Birt took his side's total up to 84-1 by the time the fielding restrictions were lifted at the end of the thirteenth over.

Birt hit the last ball of the thirteenth over out of the ground, but it was returned just in time for Weston to move to his half-century in 51 deliveries with a single to cover off Jimmy Ormond, who bowled intelligently but could hardly be described as lithe.

Birt departed in Chris Schofield's first over, attempting to cut the former England leg-spinner off his stumps. Smith then contributed an eye-catching 47 off 36 balls, which included a swept six off Schofield; though not before Weston, trying to work the ball through mid-on got a leading edge and skied a catch to Benning running back from backward point.

Derbyshire's momentum was checked when the Brown Caps picked up four wickets in as many overs beginning with the departure of Smith. The 24-year-old, attempting to pull Chris Jordan, had his off stump flattened instead. Ant Botha then yorked himself. Simon Katich, electing to slog sweep Schofield, was caught at deep mid-wicket and, in the 31st over, Harbhajan arrowed one in to account for Wagg.

David Pipe and Jake Needham's eighth wicket partnership, worth 32 in four overs, took the Phantoms up to a decent total after being put into bat by Mark Ramprakash, but it was not enough to prevent the visitors suffering their fourth defeat in five Pro40 outings.

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