DAVIES SETS UP LIONS' VICTORY ON HIS RETURN TO WORCESTER by Marcus Hook
Worcestershire Royals 235-7 (40 Overs) v Surrey Lions 191-3 (31 Overs). Surrey Lions win by 30 runs (D/L method)

Steven Davies marked his first return to Worcester, since parting company with the Royals at the end of last summer, with a decisive 81 off 55 balls. His fabulous exhibition of controlled hitting laid the foundations for a relatively comfortable win over his former team-mates. Surrey's seven-wicket victory, which was achieved in slightly anti-climatic circumstances, with the players seeking refuge from the rain, sees the Brit Oval outfit take the early lead in Group A of the Clydesdale Bank 40League. Earlier in the day, Worcestershire were handed a good start by Phil Jaques, but his departure in the 21st over, followed by Ben Smith in the 22nd and Alexei Kervezee in the 23rd saw the hosts pegged back to 235-7.

Davies, who has now struck one hundred and five fifties in all competitions this term, not to mention a century against Cambridge University to kick the season off, ensured that Surrey were able to overcome the loss of their skipper, Rory Hamilton-Brown, who was bowled around his legs attempting to sweep, for six and Mark Ramprakash, who lofted a catch to cover, for 13.

That made it 47-2, but with the help of Usman Afzaal, who kept Davies company in a third wicket stand that produced 85 runs in 12 overs, the visitors were left needing just over one hundred runs to win when the former Worcestershire man perished in what proved to be an eventful 20th over. In the space of four deliveries, Davies took a four and two sixes off Chris Whelan before holing out to deep square leg going for another expansive hit.

Vikram Solanki's tactic of bowling himself, Moeen Ali and James Cameron, to ensure that the ball was slow to come onto the bat, limited Afzaal and at Matthew Spriegel to taking singles. But the shackles were thrown off in the 30th over, when Spriegel found the rope at long-off. In the next over, Afzaal brought up his half century off what proved to be the final delivery of the contest. It had taken the former England left-hander 66 balls, and contained just four fours.

Earlier, after being inserted by the visitors, Worcestershire made 235-7 in their 40 overs thanks to a fantastic 78 off 65 balls from opener Phil Jaques. The Australian left-hander put on 85 in 13 overs with Alexei Kervezee for the third wicket, but after suffering a mini collapse the hosts were only kept in the game by James Cameron and Daryl Mitchell's sixth wicket alliance, which produced 65 in 12 overs. Cameron, making only his second one-day appearance for the Royals, finished with an unbeaten 48 in 50 deliveries, which included a six over long-on off Chris Schofield in the 26th over.

In the fifth over, Jacques cut and then cover drove Jade Dernbach for successive fours to make it 32 without loss. But, in the next, Rao Iftikhar Anjum claimed the first of his three victims when he got one to jag back off a length to clip the top of Solanki's middle stump. Two overs later the Pakistan seamer had Ali caught at short fine leg off a top edged pull.

The announcement of Gareth Batty's introduction to the attack resulted in boos from the off-spinner's former home crowd. In the 11th over, Jaques lofted Batty over mid-on before reverse sweeping him for a second four in the over. Jaques moved to a 44-ball half century at the start of Stuart Meaker's solitary over before despatching the 21-year-old behind square on the off-side for two boundaries.

Four overs later Kervezee lifted Batty over straight mid-wicket for a maximum. But then the home side slipped from 132-2 to 140-5. Jaques, attempting another reverse sweep, was caught at short fine leg off Batty. Smith, sweeping, was then adjudged to be lbw before Kervezee was undone by a quicker delivery.

Other than Cameron's six hit, the Surrey attack limited Worcestershire to just seven fours in the second half of their 40 overs.

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