THE STORY (SO FAR) OF SURREY'S TWENTY20 CUP
CAMPAIGN by Marcus Hook
Lord's 27 June: Surrey (218-7) beat Middlesex (178-7) by 40 runs
A crowd of 18,000-plus witnessed the opening chapter of the 2006 Twenty20 Cup,
which, for the Londoners, was destined to be tale of contrasting fortunes. The
visitors won the toss and immediately took charge thanks to James Benning (57)
and Alistair Brown's 148-run opening stand in 13 overs, which established a new
club record partnership in 20-over cricket. Brown hit 83 off 38 balls, which was
also a new record for the highest score by a Surrey batsman in the Twenty20 Cup.
His innings contained six sixes, including one off Chad Keegan that skipped over
the roof of the Mound Stand and landed on the windscreen of a parked car.
Although the rate of scoring slowed when Brown holed out to long-off in the
fourteenth over, the visitors were still able to post their second highest total
ever in this form of cricket. Things went from bad to worse for the Crusaders
when they lost two wickets to the first two balls of their response and slumped
to 13 for four in the third over. Had Benning held on to Scott Styris at point
in the next the hosts would have been 21 for five. But the let-off allowed the
New Zealander to restore some pride in alliance with Eoin Morgan (66) with a
106-run partnership for the fifth wicket. It was only the second three-figure
stand ever to be conceded by the Brown Caps in 20-over cricket. But when Styris
was caught at long-off in the thirteenth over for 56, Middlesex were left with
no way back.
Brit Oval 28 June: Surrey (198-6) beat Kent (91) by 107 runs
Brown's record innings was short-lived. The following day it was broken by, who
else, but James Benning, who struck 88 in 54 deliveries as the hosts posted 198
for six after, surprisingly, being inserted by Rob Key, the Kent captain.
Benning need hardly have bothered, as the Spitfires then surrendered for 91. The
visitors' last seven wickets fell for 18 runs in the space of less than five
overs, and their total set a new low by any side against Surrey in the Twenty20
Cup. The sense of mayhem was accentuated by the fact that three Kent batsmen
were stumped, while two others ran themselves out. The 124-run stand between
Benning and Mark Ramprakash (58) set a new club record for the second wicket in
20-over cricket. Afterwards Benning said: "We've made it a key point in the
last three or four years to enjoy this competition. I think the more you enjoy
it, the better you are. If we win a couple more in our group then we're in the
driving seat in terms of getting to the quarter-finals. Our one-day form has
been a little bit indifferent this year, but we seem to come to the party every
year when it comes to the Twenty20."
Hove 30 June: Sussex (126-5) beat Surrey (123) by 5 wickets
After dominating in each of their first two games, it came as a major surprise
when the Brown Caps went to Hove and were dismissed, under lights, for their
second lowest total ever in Twenty20 Cup history. Not surprisingly, 123 proved
impossible to defend despite the valiant efforts of stand-in skipper Rikki
Clarke, who took two wickets for ten in his four overs. Having been made to
struggle for runs by Mushtaq Ahmed, the visitors were eventually polished off by
another Pakistani, Yasir Arafat, Sussex's replacement for Rana Naved-ul-Hasan,
who had another engagement to keep - his country's tour of England. Arafat's
four for 21 were the best figures by any bowler against Surrey in 20-over
cricket. The Brown Caps were further stunned by Murray Goodwin and Matt Prior's
opening stand of 57 in five overs. But once the hosts had seen off Clarke,
Michael Yardy and Carl Hopkinson held their nerve to see the Sharks home with
ten deliveries to spare.
Brit Oval 1 July: Essex (189-6) beat Surrey (188-7) by 4 wickets
With England due to play Portugal in the quarter-finals of football's World Cup
later the same afternoon, the authorities at Surrey showed great foresight by
bringing the start of this match forward to 12.30pm. Things continued to go
according to plan for the Brown Caps when Mark Pettini and Ronnie Irani were
dismissed in the first two overs of Essex's reply. But then Ravi Bopara strode
to the crease and took the game by the scruff of the neck. Bopara proceeded to
make the highest individual score, to date, against Surrey in the Twenty20 Cup.
His 83 off 46 balls also helped the Eagles post the second highest total to be
conceded by the Brown Caps since the competition arrived on the scene with a
fanfare back in 2003. In the end, Essex won with ease, wrapping things up with
ten balls to spare, but it could have been a different story had the prolific
James Benning not gone to the first ball of the match, and had Mark Ramprakash
(54 off 34 balls) and Jonathan Batty (59 off 39 balls) not got themselves out
when looking well set. Both were outclassed by Bopara, who, at twenty-one years
of age, would seem to be on the brink of an illustrious career and must surely
be one of the candidates for this season's Cricket Writers' Club Young Player of
the Year award.
Brit Oval 4 July: Sussex (135-5) beat Surrey (131) by 5 wickets
With Surrey having been skittled out for their second lowest total in the
Twenty20 Cup down at Hove, four days on it was a similar story as Sussex brushed
the Brown Caps aside for 131 - their third lowest total in 20-over cricket. Once
again, the plaudits went to Yasir Arafat, who took four for 31. But the real
damage was caused by Luke Wright, who accounted for Batty, Ramprakash and Azhar
Mahmood. When Tim Murtagh picked up three quick wickets for the hosts it looked
as if he was going to add another match-winning Twenty20 Cup performance to his
collection. Murtagh's devastating spell with the new ball helped Surrey reduce
the visitors to 54 for five, but then Michael Yardy - a man who invariably saves
his best for the Brown Caps - and Carl Hopkinson combined for an unbeaten stand
of 81 in eight overs to see the Sharks home with eleven balls to spare.
Afterwards, the Surrey coach Alan Butcher placed the blame for his side's defeat
firmly on the shoulders of his batsmen. He said: "When it comes to the
batting it needs individuals to work out the situation and to play accordingly.
In the defeat to Essex it came down to a special innings from Bopara, who played
our spinners exceptionally well. So, on that occasion, we probably had to hold
our hands up and say the bloke's played well. But, unfortunately, in the two
matches against Sussex, I think we probably let ourselves down at little bit,
through not getting enough runs. You're not going to win matches at the Brit
Oval by making 130."
Rose Bowl 5 July: Surrey (141-5) beat Hampshire (131) by 10 runs
When Scott Newman joined Azhar Mahmood in the twelfth over, with the visitors
spluttering on 56 for five, it looked as if their stand-in skipper, Rikki
Clarke's call for Surrey to treat every remaining Twenty20 Cup clash as a
knockout game had gone unheeded. But thanks to an inspired 65 off 30 balls from
Azhar, which included seven fours and four sixes, the Brown Caps managed to post
a serviceable 141 for five. With Hampshire wickets falling at regular intervals
the game hung in the balance throughout much of the Hawks' reply. Chris Benham
and Greg Lamb enjoyed starts, but after they were both accounted for Nayan Doshi,
who collected the second four-wicket haul in 20-over cricket, Surrey coasted
home. Mark Ramprakash applied the coup de grace by running out Hampshire's
number eleven Billy Taylor. But then he controversially ripped off his shirt and
ran to a section of the Rose Bowl crowd that had been jeering him for not giving
a four to a ball which he had fielded just inside the boundary. Ramprakash said:
"I'm 36½ and I'm getting excited about a group Twenty20 match. I came down
here about two years ago and the crowd were abusive and today they started on me
when they thought a ball I stopped had gone for four. Normally it's quite
good-natured stuff but this wasn't particularly pleasant. It was nice to have
the last laugh."
Brit Oval 7 July: Surrey (116-3) beat Middlesex (115) by 7 wickets
In front of a sell-out crowd, James Benning's third half-century in this
season's Twenty20 Cup carried Surrey to victory with nearly seven overs to spare
against a depleted Middlesex side, which, in addition to missing the injured Ed
Joyce, had lost Shah and Dalrymple to England A, who were taking on the
Pakistanis down at Canterbury. Benning's unbeaten 61 off 33 balls condemned the
Crusaders to their ninth successive 20-over defeat, but the Brown Caps' victory
was set-up by a polished performance in the field which saw Nayan Doshi become
the leading wicket-taker in the competition's short history. When Doshi had the
promising Billy Godleman caught on the straight boundary by Alistair Brown he
went past the previous record of 36, which had belonged to his former Surrey
team-mate and captain, Adam Hollioake. Doshi wrapped up the visitors' innings
with figures of four for 22. But, for Hollioake now read Rikki Clarke, who could
rightly have considered himself unfortunate to not be playing at Canterbury as
well; especially given that Andrew Flintoff's ankle injury left England needing
a short-term replacement for the Lancashire all-rounder ahead of the First Test
at Lord's starting on 13 July. Clarke chipped in with a superb catch at first
slip plus the wickets of three of Middlesex's top-order batsmen. As a leader the
biggest complement one could pay was that Mark Butcher, sidelined with a back
injury for entire group phase of the Twenty20 Cup, was barely missed.
Canterbury 11 July: Surrey (217-4) beat Kent (157) by 60 runs
Having never lost to Kent in the Twenty20 Cup and back on track in terms of
their 20-over form, Surrey went into their final group game with hopes of
topping the South Division table. For that to happen, though, they also needed
Sussex to beat Essex in the last round of group matches. However, after being
roundly trounced by Rikki Clarke's men, it was Kent who benefited from the
Eagles' last ball victory down at Hove, which edged Sussex out of a
quarter-final place for the second year running. Not for the first time in this
season's Twenty20 campaign, the Brown Caps were given an excellent start by
James Benning (66 in 36 deliveries) and Alistair Brown, who put on 112 in less
than ten overs for the visitors' first wicket. But with every Surrey batsman
scoring at faster than a run a ball, the Spitfires were left the daunting task
of making 218 to win. Despite the early departure of Darren Stevens, the hosts
had 38 runs on the board in the fourth over thanks to Andrew Hall. But then Hall
was caught at short mid-wicket by Clarke off the bowling of Azhar Mahmood. When
Neil Dexter was run out by Benning later in the same over and Rob Key holed out
to deep backward square leg in the next, it looked as though Kent would fold as
they had done at the Brit Oval two weeks earlier. They were given hope in the
shape of Martin van Jaarsveld and Tyrone Henderson, but with Clarke picking up
three wickets and Nayan Doshi proving economical yet again there was only ever
going to be one winner when the Spitfires went into the last five overs needing
92.
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