Surrey kept alive their hopes of reaching the last eight of the Friends Provident Trophy thanks to Mark Ramprakash's third hundred of the new season, his second in one-day cricket, to which the previously undefeated Gloucestershire had no answer as they slumped to 142 all out in just 33.3 overs.

After losing the toss and being inserted by their guests, Surrey posted an imposing 306-6 thanks to a masterful 121 off 124 balls from Ramprakash, who shared in stands of 94 and 96 with Usman Afzaal and Matthew Spriegel, the latter coming off just ten overs. Ramprakash arrived at the crease in the seventh over, after Scott Newman had been caught low down to the wicketkeeper's left off the bowling of Jon Lewis. Seven overs later, Michael Brown, who looked in good touch, was caught and bowled off a top edged pull; Anthony Ireland nearly colliding with Steve Adshead in the process of clinging on.

Ramprakash, who showed his intent by launching Ireland straight down the ground for six in the twelfth over, moved to his half-century in 60 deliveries, though not before pulling Alex Gidman for four in the 23rd over, then, next ball, running the Gladiators' skipper down to the third man boundary.

The following over saw Afzaal pull a full toss from Vikram Banerjee into the OCS Stand, but after Ramprakash had taken three fours off the 29th, bowled by Gidman, Afzaal was caught on the mid-wicket rope. For the next ten overs Spriegel, who bettered his career best for the second time in three matches, combined with Ramprakash to add 96 in double quick time.

In the 36th over, Spriegel lifted Banerjee straight for six. Surrey made full use of the batting powerplay, which they took five overs later. After reaching his 16th one-day hundred, in 116 deliveries, Ramprakash pulled Lewis for six in the 43rd over and launched Ireland over long-on for another maximum in the 44th. But Ireland had his revenge when the former Middlesex man miscued to Gidman, who had to run around from mid-on to take the catch over his right shoulder.

Few batsman can have lifted James Franklin over long-on for six this summer, but that was precisely what Spriegel did on his way to a 42-ball half-century. The 22-year-old left-hander eventually perished in the 49th over for a vital 64 in 55 deliveries, during which he struck found the boundary on just six occasions; although, by then, the visitors' mood appeared to be as gloomy as the skies over SE11.

It soon became darker when Kadeer Ali, attempting a back foot drive, was caught behind off Stuart Meaker in the seventh over of Gloucestershire's reply. Hamish Marshall launched Pedro Collins over extra cover for six, but in the same over dragged the left-arm seamer on to his stumps.

Craig Spearman pulled Alex Tudor for a maximum in the 13th over, and William Porterfield picked up Chris Schofield over mid-wicket in the next, but then, fencing at a ball he need not have played, Spearman was caught behind off Tudor.

Porterfield was joined by Chris Taylor and together the pair added 35 for the fourth wicket, but after nine overs, in which Porterfield struck two fours and Taylor just one, the latter was involved in the first of two run outs when Porterfield called for a single, but was sent back to the bowler's end where Spriegel applied the finishing touches to Wilson's pick-up and throw.

Porterfield had made 42 off 43 balls. From being 109-3 in the 24th over, the Gladiators subsided to 142 all out, losing their last seven wickets in the space of ten overs as Schofield and Afzaal cashed in with two wickets apiece and Ramprakash, who had been at the heart of things with the bat, ran out Adshead at the bowler's end after Taylor had squirted a ball from Spriegel out to point.

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