A thoroughly clinical performance against third-placed Glamorgan saw Surrey reclaim the top spot in Division One of the 45-over National Cricket League. Their 58-run victory over the Welshmen put the Oval outfit four points clear of Gloucestershire and six points ahead of the Dragons with games in hand on both.

The victory was set-up by a third-wicket stand of 120 in nineteen overs between Mark Ramprakash and Graham Thorpe, both of whom showed that it was possible to score heavily without having to go after every single ball. The home side were also indebted to a delightful 44 from opener Ian Ward, but the highlight for most of the 2,500-strong crowd was a brutal 41 from Adam Hollioake, which helped his team plunder 63 off the last five overs.

In Surrey’s total of 298 for five (a club one-day league record against Glamorgan) Ramprakash, who last week hit a career best 279 not out on the same ground, took 57 balls to reach his fifty and needed just another 34 to complete his second limited-overs century of the summer. Before angling to short fine-leg the former Middlesex man made 101 in two hours, hitting 11 fours and three sixes – the last of which, over midwicket off Mike Kasprowicz, brought up the hundred stand between him and Thorpe.

Graham Thorpe’s fifty partnership with the Lions’ skipper came up in less than four overs when Hollioake, whose personal contribution amounted to 41 in 14 deliveries, launched Andrew Davies on to the roof of one of the houses in Nottingham Road.

Jimmy Maher proved to be Glamorgan’s most successful bowler after the spin of Croft and Cosker had been despatched for 54, including four sixes, in seven overs. The Australian picked up his first three NCL wickets by dismissing Ramprakash, Azhar Mahmood and Hollioake to leave the busy Thorpe unbeaten on 77.

His job done with the ball, the dangerous Maher only lasted ten deliveries before giving a straightforward catch to Ramprakash at cover. The Dragons’ captain Robert Croft brought the fifty up in the ninth over, only to then edge Jimmy Ormond behind.

Thanks to Michael Powell, who shared in an 87-run stand in twelve overs with Matthew Maynard and struck a 37-ball half-century, the Welshmen stayed in touch with the demanding asking rate until the combination of Saqlain Mushtaq and Ormond, whose second spell read 6-0-17-0, prevented the visitors from hitting a boundary for more than ten overs.

After Maynard developed cramp and Powell advanced on Saqlain to be bowled for sixty the Glamorgan innings soon caved in. Adrian Dale momentarily lost his balance after playing and missing at Martin Bicknell, which allowed Jonathan Batty the chance of a clever stumping. The scalps of Mark Wallace – whose dismissal was a carbon copy of Michael Powell’s – and David Hemp followed in the next two overs.

With 32 balls remaining Alistair Brown, who brilliantly ran out Hemp with a direct hit from mid-on, claimed the final wicket of Dean Cosker to round off another confident performance for the Oval outfit, who have only suffered three defeats in all competitions this season.

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