Essex's highest ever total in one-day cricket, which was set-up by a magnificent first wicket stand of 269 in 39 overs between Mark Pettini and Jason Gallian, proved too much for Surrey, who, Mark Ramprakash apart, succumbed to scoreboard pressure. The result keeps Essex on top of the Friends Provident Trophy South East Division, but leaves the Brown Caps needing to win their next three games simply to stand a chance of progressing to the knockout stage.

Pettini, who was dropped by Jonathan Batty on one, struck a one-day career best 144 off 120 balls, while his opening partner, Gallian took advantage of an excellent Oval pitch to post an equally impressive 117 in 116 deliveries. Their alliance was the highest for the first wicket against Surrey in List A cricket, beating Trevor Ward and Mark Benson's 229 for Kent at Canterbury in 1995.

When Pettini and Gallian fell in successive overs, Surrey may have been thinking that their opponents could be restricted to less than 350. But Ryan ten Doeschate and James Foster had no intention whatsoever of allowing the Surrey attack to settle. 114 runs came off the final ten overs of the innings, including a fourth wicket partnership of 74 in only 35 deliveries; just three of which, including the one to which Foster perished, were not scored off. Only Grant Flower failed to capitalise with the bat as Jade Dernbach became the first Surrey bowler to concede over 100 runs in a one-day innings.

Dernbach's opening five over spell went for 40 runs as Gallian was the first to impose himself. But with Pettini driving Pedro Collins straight down the ground for six and hitting another maximum over long-on off Dernbach, the hundred came up in the sixteenth over; though not before the Essex captain had posted a run-a-ball half-century. Gallian's fifty, which arrived seven overs later, was a relatively pedestrian 64 deliveries in the making.

Once Pettini had progressed to his second hundred in this year's Friends Provident Trophy, Gallian hit Saqlain Mushtaq to the long-on boundary then pulled the off-spinner's next ball for four. 198 without loss after 30 overs became 236-0 five overs later when the former Nottinghamshire skipper went to his century in 104 deliveries.

Pettini was eventually caught behind, backing away to Saqlain. Gallian then perished when he lofted Nicholson to cover. But ten Doeschate, who collected sixes off Afzaal and Dernbach, then Foster, who hit two maximums off Nicholson in the 48th over and lifted Dernbach over extra cover in the 49th, ensured that the Eagles' innings finished on a high note.

In reply, Surrey lost James Benning early on, caught off a top-edged hook. Scott Newman and Mark Ramprakash gave the home side some hope by putting on 94 in fourteen overs for the second wicket. In the seventh over Ramprakash hit Andre Nel for two off-side fours. Two overs later Newman also collected two fours off the irascible South African, whose next over went for thirteen. Ramprakash overtook his partner by racing to a 37-ball half-century shortly after hitting some lusty blows off Chris Wright.

Newman was bowled by a leg-stump yorker in Napier's third over and Butcher was stumped down the leg-side six overs later. But the writing for indelibly on the wall when Ramprakash and Alistair Brown went in successive balls to David Masters, picked up a career best 5-17.

Highest totals by Essex in one-day cricket:
391-5 v Surrey at The Oval 2008
388-7 v Scotland at Chelmsford 1992
386-5 v Wiltshire at Chelmsford 1988
361-8 v Cumberland at Chelmsford 1992
361-7 v Durham at Chelmsford 1996

GO TO:

BACK TO: