DI VENUTO AND STUBBINGS WALK ALL OVER SURREY by Marcus Hook
Surrey Lions 260-8 (45 Overs) v Derbyshire Phantoms 264-5 (39.2 Overs). Derbyshire Phantoms win by five wickets.

Derbyshire’s Michael Di Venuto and Steve Stubbings warmed up for today’s Twenty20 Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford with an opening stand of 217 in 31.3 overs, which was precisely the last thing Surrey wanted ahead of their clash with Warwickshire at the Brit Oval. The Lions have now lost four of their last five limited-overs fixtures and at times yesterday their body language suggested that the wheels were about to come off of their one-day season.

Admittedly, there was no Bicknell, no Ormond, no Azhar Mahmood – all of whom were being rested – and, crucially, no Harbhajan, but the result was beyond doubt when the visitors reached the end of the 15th over of their reply 126 without loss.

Di Venuto brought the fifty up off the last ball of the seventh over with a tracer bullet through point off Akram. Stubbings, who had earlier struck successive fours straight up the ground off Murtagh, kept pace with his partner simply by rotating the strike. The introduction of Saker to the attack also failed to do the trick. The 20-year-old was clattered for 32 off three overs, before making way for Benning at the Vauxhall End.

With options running out, Doshi had to be pressed into action before the end of the fielding restrictions. It seemed almost inevitable when his second ball disappeared over long-on for six. The slow left-armer’s third over saw Di Venuto hitting four boundaries, the first of which set a new one-day league record for the Phantoms’ opening stand against Surrey and the third of which brought up the Aussie left-hander’s half-century. Stubbings’s fifty arrived in the next over when he dabbed Benning past the keeper to the boundary at straight third man.

Steve Stubbings entered the nineties with a square-leg six off Neil Saker in the 29th over and two balls later he pulled Mohammad Akram for four to bring up the 200 stand. But then Akram, who overstepped on five occasions, made a mess of the 27-year-old’s stumps just two runs short of what would have been his maiden one-day century. Stubbings finished with a career-best equalling 98 in 108 deliveries.

Michael Di Venuto, who had made two hundreds in his previous three innings in the totesport League, also perished on 98 when he ballooned a catch to mid-off running back. But not even Mark Ramprakash’s direct hit from mid-on to account for Sutton or Salisbury defeating Friend with a googly could put any gloss on a below-par Surrey performance.

When Ramprakash and Thorpe were in tandem the Lions looked assured of beating their highest ever one-day league total against Derbyshire - the 269-7 they racked up at Derby ten years ago. But given that Surrey made 358-6 on the same pitch in Friday’s C&G Trophy quarter-final, 260 for eight off five less overs was a bit of come down; even if Nayan Doshi did give his side with some impetus towards the end by collecting 29 off 19 balls, which included three successive fours in off-spinner Jake Needham’s final over.

Benning, Ramprakash and Thorpe all enjoyed starts without going on to fifties or even a hundred, which looked eminently feasible when Benning and Batty were putting on 81 in thirteen overs for the Lions’ opening stand. But then James Benning went to a catch at mid-off and six overs later Jonathan Batty was caught behind.

Ramprakash, electing to sweep, and Thorpe, on driving for the most part, both appeared to be shaping up for big knocks, but in the cold light of day they must be kicking themselves. Thorpe lifted Botha over mid-on for six. Two deliveries later, however, Ramprakash gave a tame catch to Welch at short extra cover off the bowling of Ant Botha.

Alistair Brown made a quick twenty, which included three straight sixes in two overs. But when, in the space of four balls, Brown was caught at short mid-wicket and Rikki Clarke was run out attempting a second to the arm of Lungley at deep square-leg, Thorpe suddenly founding himself having to shepherd the tail. In hindsight, he will probably regret answering Murtagh’s call for a single to extra cover in the 37th over. But, in the end, it is highly debateable whether his exit with eight overs to go for a run-a-ball 46 made much difference.

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