DAVIES COMPLETES CONVINCING WIN FOR THE LIONS by Marcus Hook
Lancashire Lightning 165 (39.3 Overs) v Surrey Lions 166-2 (23.5 Overs). Surrey Lions win by 8 wickets.

A breathtaking 82 not out off 69 balls from Steven Davies capped a dominant Surrey display at Old Trafford, where they had not tasted victory in one-day cricket since 1996. The Lions' eight-wicket win over Lancashire, which was achieved with more than sixteen overs to spare, lifts the Brit Oval outfit back up to second place in Group A of the Clydesdale Bank 40League, just behind the Somerset Sabres, whom they are due to play next, when the competition resumes at the end of July.

It was a day to forget for the Lightning, who were reduced to 39-5 after winning the toss and electing to bat. Only Mark Chilton and Luke Sutton's sixth wicket stand of 108 in 23 overs spared the home side total ignominy.

In the second over, Chris Tremlett trapped Tom Smith leg before. In the next, Andre Nel had Paul Horton caught behind off an inside edge to make it 8-2. Eight overs later that became 33-3 when Ashwell Prince got a leading edge to third man off the bowling of Jade Dernbach, who then had Stephen Moore dragging the ball on to his stumps; though not before Steven Croft was run out for a duck following a dreadful mix-up in the 11th over.

The hosts only found the boundary on twelve occasions. A former Lancashire player, Chris Schofield got through his eight overs, which he bowled unchanged from the Brian Statham End, without conceding any. Chilton eventually threw off the shackles in the 24th over when he reverse swept and cover drove Rory Hamilton-Brown for fours before bringing up the fifty partnership for the sixth wicket.

Six overs later, Chilton progressed to a 63-ball half century, which he celebrated by reverse sweeping Matthew Spriegel for four in the 31st over. But when the acting Lancashire skipper was bowled around his legs by Nel four overs later, the hosts fell apart again, losing their last five wickets for 18 runs in the space of 28 deliveries.

In reply, Surrey raced to 59 without loss in seven overs. Hamilton-Brown enjoyed a couple of slices of luck when he picked up fours off inside edges. In the fourth over Davies deposited Daren Powell over the fence at third man for the first of his three sixes. In the next, Hamilton-Brown square drove and then pulled boundaries off James Anderson.

The sixth over nearly saw Davies decapitate Lanky - Lancashire Lightning's mascot - with another maximum to third man off Powell. In the next, the former Worcestershire keeper launched Smith straight down the ground for six.

In the ninth over, Hamilton-Brown went to 30 by lifting Smith over mid-off for four. The Lions' skipper should have been caught at backward leg next ball, but Powell optimised Lancashire's woeful display by spilling the chance.

By the end of the 11th over, Surrey were nearly halfway towards achieving their objective thanks to Hamilton-Brown cutting Stephen Parry's first delivery to the boundary before working him through extra cover for another four.

Two overs later the 22-year-old brought his fifty up in 35 deliveries when he danced down the wicket and hit Parry straight down the ground for six. Smith's return to the attack, in the 15th over, saw Hamilton-Brown despatching the ball through the off-side for two successive boundaries before being bowled off his back leg for 65.

Davies's half century, which came off 47 deliveries, arrived in the 17th over when he pulled Parry through straight mid-wicket for four. Other than Laurie Evans departing to a catch at short fine leg two overs later the visitors charge for the line was unimpeded, Davies taking his side to within 14 runs of victory with successive fours to wide long-on off the bowling of Croft.

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