Lord's 27 June: Surrey (218-7) beat Middlesex (178-7) by 40 runs
A crowd of 18,000-plus witnessed the opening chapter of the 2006 Twenty20 Cup, which, for the Londoners, was destined to be tale of contrasting fortunes. The visitors won the toss and immediately took charge thanks to James Benning (57) and Alistair Brown's 148-run opening stand in 13 overs, which established a new club record partnership in 20-over cricket. Brown hit 83 off 38 balls, which was also a new record for the highest score by a Surrey batsman in the Twenty20 Cup. His innings contained six sixes, including one off Chad Keegan that skipped over the roof of the Mound Stand and landed on the windscreen of a parked car. Although the rate of scoring slowed when Brown holed out to long-off in the fourteenth over, the visitors were still able to post their second highest total ever in this form of cricket. Things went from bad to worse for the Crusaders when they lost two wickets to the first two balls of their response and slumped to 13 for four in the third over. Had Benning held on to Scott Styris at point in the next the hosts would have been 21 for five. But the let-off allowed the New Zealander to restore some pride in alliance with Eoin Morgan (66) with a 106-run partnership for the fifth wicket. It was only the second three-figure stand ever to be conceded by the Brown Caps in 20-over cricket. But when Styris was caught at long-off in the thirteenth over for 56, Middlesex were left with no way back.

Brit Oval 28 June: Surrey (198-6) beat Kent (91) by 107 runs
Brown's record innings was short-lived. The following day it was broken by, who else, but James Benning, who struck 88 in 54 deliveries as the hosts posted 198 for six after, surprisingly, being inserted by Rob Key, the Kent captain. Benning need hardly have bothered, as the Spitfires then surrendered for 91. The visitors' last seven wickets fell for 18 runs in the space of less than five overs, and their total set a new low by any side against Surrey in the Twenty20 Cup. The sense of mayhem was accentuated by the fact that three Kent batsmen were stumped, while two others ran themselves out. The 124-run stand between Benning and Mark Ramprakash (58) set a new club record for the second wicket in 20-over cricket. Afterwards Benning said: "We've made it a key point in the last three or four years to enjoy this competition. I think the more you enjoy it, the better you are. If we win a couple more in our group then we're in the driving seat in terms of getting to the quarter-finals. Our one-day form has been a little bit indifferent this year, but we seem to come to the party every year when it comes to the Twenty20."

Hove 30 June: Sussex (126-5) beat Surrey (123) by 5 wickets
After dominating in each of their first two games, it came as a major surprise when the Brown Caps went to Hove and were dismissed, under lights, for their second lowest total ever in Twenty20 Cup history. Not surprisingly, 123 proved impossible to defend despite the valiant efforts of stand-in skipper Rikki Clarke, who took two wickets for ten in his four overs. Having been made to struggle for runs by Mushtaq Ahmed, the visitors were eventually polished off by another Pakistani, Yasir Arafat, Sussex's replacement for Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, who had another engagement to keep - his country's tour of England. Arafat's four for 21 were the best figures by any bowler against Surrey in 20-over cricket. The Brown Caps were further stunned by Murray Goodwin and Matt Prior's opening stand of 57 in five overs. But once the hosts had seen off Clarke, Michael Yardy and Carl Hopkinson held their nerve to see the Sharks home with ten deliveries to spare.

Brit Oval 1 July: Essex (189-6) beat Surrey (188-7) by 4 wickets
With England due to play Portugal in the quarter-finals of football's World Cup later the same afternoon, the authorities at Surrey showed great foresight by bringing the start of this match forward to 12.30pm. Things continued to go according to plan for the Brown Caps when Mark Pettini and Ronnie Irani were dismissed in the first two overs of Essex's reply. But then Ravi Bopara strode to the crease and took the game by the scruff of the neck. Bopara proceeded to make the highest individual score, to date, against Surrey in the Twenty20 Cup. His 83 off 46 balls also helped the Eagles post the second highest total to be conceded by the Brown Caps since the competition arrived on the scene with a fanfare back in 2003. In the end, Essex won with ease, wrapping things up with ten balls to spare, but it could have been a different story had the prolific James Benning not gone to the first ball of the match, and had Mark Ramprakash (54 off 34 balls) and Jonathan Batty (59 off 39 balls) not got themselves out when looking well set. Both were outclassed by Bopara, who, at twenty-one years of age, would seem to be on the brink of an illustrious career and must surely be one of the candidates for this season's Cricket Writers' Club Young Player of the Year award.

Brit Oval 4 July: Sussex (135-5) beat Surrey (131) by 5 wickets
With Surrey having been skittled out for their second lowest total in the Twenty20 Cup down at Hove, four days on it was a similar story as Sussex brushed the Brown Caps aside for 131 - their third lowest total in 20-over cricket. Once again, the plaudits went to Yasir Arafat, who took four for 31. But the real damage was caused by Luke Wright, who accounted for Batty, Ramprakash and Azhar Mahmood. When Tim Murtagh picked up three quick wickets for the hosts it looked as if he was going to add another match-winning Twenty20 Cup performance to his collection. Murtagh's devastating spell with the new ball helped Surrey reduce the visitors to 54 for five, but then Michael Yardy - a man who invariably saves his best for the Brown Caps - and Carl Hopkinson combined for an unbeaten stand of 81 in eight overs to see the Sharks home with eleven balls to spare. Afterwards, the Surrey coach Alan Butcher placed the blame for his side's defeat firmly on the shoulders of his batsmen. He said: "When it comes to the batting it needs individuals to work out the situation and to play accordingly. In the defeat to Essex it came down to a special innings from Bopara, who played our spinners exceptionally well. So, on that occasion, we probably had to hold our hands up and say the bloke's played well. But, unfortunately, in the two matches against Sussex, I think we probably let ourselves down at little bit, through not getting enough runs. You're not going to win matches at the Brit Oval by making 130."

Rose Bowl 5 July: Surrey (141-5) beat Hampshire (131) by 10 runs
When Scott Newman joined Azhar Mahmood in the twelfth over, with the visitors spluttering on 56 for five, it looked as if their stand-in skipper, Rikki Clarke's call for Surrey to treat every remaining Twenty20 Cup clash as a knockout game had gone unheeded. But thanks to an inspired 65 off 30 balls from Azhar, which included seven fours and four sixes, the Brown Caps managed to post a serviceable 141 for five. With Hampshire wickets falling at regular intervals the game hung in the balance throughout much of the Hawks' reply. Chris Benham and Greg Lamb enjoyed starts, but after they were both accounted for Nayan Doshi, who collected the second four-wicket haul in 20-over cricket, Surrey coasted home. Mark Ramprakash applied the coup de grace by running out Hampshire's number eleven Billy Taylor. But then he controversially ripped off his shirt and ran to a section of the Rose Bowl crowd that had been jeering him for not giving a four to a ball which he had fielded just inside the boundary. Ramprakash said: "I'm 36½ and I'm getting excited about a group Twenty20 match. I came down here about two years ago and the crowd were abusive and today they started on me when they thought a ball I stopped had gone for four. Normally it's quite good-natured stuff but this wasn't particularly pleasant. It was nice to have the last laugh."

Brit Oval 7 July: Surrey (116-3) beat Middlesex (115) by 7 wickets
In front of a sell-out crowd, James Benning's third half-century in this season's Twenty20 Cup carried Surrey to victory with nearly seven overs to spare against a depleted Middlesex side, which, in addition to missing the injured Ed Joyce, had lost Shah and Dalrymple to England A, who were taking on the Pakistanis down at Canterbury. Benning's unbeaten 61 off 33 balls condemned the Crusaders to their ninth successive 20-over defeat, but the Brown Caps' victory was set-up by a polished performance in the field which saw Nayan Doshi become the leading wicket-taker in the competition's short history. When Doshi had the promising Billy Godleman caught on the straight boundary by Alistair Brown he went past the previous record of 36, which had belonged to his former Surrey team-mate and captain, Adam Hollioake. Doshi wrapped up the visitors' innings with figures of four for 22. But, for Hollioake now read Rikki Clarke, who could rightly have considered himself unfortunate to not be playing at Canterbury as well; especially given that Andrew Flintoff's ankle injury left England needing a short-term replacement for the Lancashire all-rounder ahead of the First Test at Lord's starting on 13 July. Clarke chipped in with a superb catch at first slip plus the wickets of three of Middlesex's top-order batsmen. As a leader the biggest complement one could pay was that Mark Butcher, sidelined with a back injury for entire group phase of the Twenty20 Cup, was barely missed.

Canterbury 11 July: Surrey (217-4) beat Kent (157) by 60 runs
Having never lost to Kent in the Twenty20 Cup and back on track in terms of their 20-over form, Surrey went into their final group game with hopes of topping the South Division table. For that to happen, though, they also needed Sussex to beat Essex in the last round of group matches. However, after being roundly trounced by Rikki Clarke's men, it was Kent who benefited from the Eagles' last ball victory down at Hove, which edged Sussex out of a quarter-final place for the second year running. Not for the first time in this season's Twenty20 campaign, the Brown Caps were given an excellent start by James Benning (66 in 36 deliveries) and Alistair Brown, who put on 112 in less than ten overs for the visitors' first wicket. But with every Surrey batsman scoring at faster than a run a ball, the Spitfires were left the daunting task of making 218 to win. Despite the early departure of Darren Stevens, the hosts had 38 runs on the board in the fourth over thanks to Andrew Hall. But then Hall was caught at short mid-wicket by Clarke off the bowling of Azhar Mahmood. When Neil Dexter was run out by Benning later in the same over and Rob Key holed out to deep backward square leg in the next, it looked as though Kent would fold as they had done at the Brit Oval two weeks earlier. They were given hope in the shape of Martin van Jaarsveld and Tyrone Henderson, but with Clarke picking up three wickets and Nayan Doshi proving economical yet again there was only ever going to be one winner when the Spitfires went into the last five overs needing 92.

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