Durham find form but it’s all too late

Michael Brown (15) was Surrey’s first casualty nine overs into the reply, edging to understudy keeper Lee Goddard when reaching for a wide one from Mitchell Claydon to make it 31 for one.

That brought in Mark Ramprakash, who joined left-hander Scott Newman in a stand of 67 from 13 overs.

Opener Newman moved smoothly to a 67-ball 50 with seven fours, until his demise heralded Surrey’s downfall, with five wickets falling in ten overs for 42 runs.

Newman, almost run out only three balls earlier when a shy missed the stumps, leant back to cut off-spinner Gareth Breese and only succeeded in edging to slip.

Debutant 17-year-old seamer, Ben Stokes, then made Ramprakash (36) his prized first wicket in senior cricket when, with his third legal delivery, he uprooted the righthander’s off stump via a thick, bottom-edge.

Grant Elliott missed a backfoot force to be bowled by Breese, Gary Wilson was caught behind when sweeping the same bowler, and then Matt Spriegel was bowled by a Stokes off-cutter.

Chris Schofield (31) and captain Usman Afzaal, with a topscore of 58 from 66 balls, offered token resistance thereafter as Durham wrapped up their second win in seven starts with 16 balls to spare.

While Durham’s innings lacked a stand-out knock, their 287 for four was more than enough thanks to steady contributions throughout the top order.

There were three half-centuries and an unbeaten 45 from former skipper Dale Benkenstein.

Having won the toss and elected to bat on a morning when showers were expected, Durham’s Gordon Muchall clattered three quick boundaries, only to edge a push drive against Pedro Collins and be superbly caught by tumbling keeper Wilson.

New Durham captain Will Smith and Scotland international Kyle Coetzer came together for a fluent, if unspectacular, second-wicket stand worth 100 in 23 overs, though Smith ought to have gone on 16 when Afzaal inexplicably downed a chance at backward point.

Smith went on to post a 70- ball 50, with four fours, while Coetzer also reached the ropes four times in a 77-ball effort.

Chris Schofield bowled Coetzer before Smith and Ian Blackwell produced an 81 stand inside 11 overs, then Smith cut to Spriegel at backward point, who held on to make it 201 for three.

Blackwell hit two sixes on his way to a 42-ball half-century before slogging to longleg, but Durham already had enough runs to defend.

Scoreboard

FRIENDS PROVIDENT TROPHY GROUP C

Surrey v Durham At The Brit Oval

Durham Innings

G J Muchall c Wilson b Collins ...........14

K J Coetzer b Schofield .....................61

W R Smith c Spriegel b Nel ................77

I D Blackwell c Elliott b Schofield .......57

D M Benkenstein not out ...................45

B A Stokes not out .............................11

Extras (b1 lb8 w5 nb8 pens 0) .................................22

Total 4 wkts Innings Complete (50 overs) ...........................287

Fall: 1-19 2-119 3-201 4-252

Did Not Bat: L J Goddard, G R Breese, L E Plunkett, W R S Gidman, M E Claydon Bowling: Meaker 5-1-36-0. Collins 9-2-38- 1. Nel 10-1-51-1. Elliott 7-0-45-0. Schofield 10-0-57-2. Afzaal 5-0-20-0. Spriegel 4-0- 31-0.

Surrey Innings

S A Newman c W R Smith b Breese ..53

M J Brown c Goddard b Claydon .......15

M R Ramprakash b Stokes ................36

U Afzaal c Stokes b Plunkett ..............58

G D Elliott b Breese .............................1

G C Wilson c Goddard b Breese ..........0

M N Spriegel b Stokes .........................0

C P Schofield b Blackwell ..................31

A Nel b Claydon ...................................8

S C Meaker not out ..............................4

P T Collins c Goddard b Plunkett .........2

Extras (b4 lb6 w5 nb4 pens 0) .................................19

Total (47.2 overs) ...............227

Fall: 1-31 2-97 3-130 4-133 5-138 6-139 7- 197 8-217 9-224

Bowling: Claydon 7-0-34-2. Plunkett 7.2- 0-28-2. Blackwell 10-1-38-1. Gidman 4-0- 21-0. Breese 10-0-42-3. Stokes 5-0-22-2. W R Smith 2-0-16-0. Benkenstein 2-0-16- 0.

Durham beat Surrey by 60 runs.