Usman Afzaal stars in a record breaking win for the Brown Caps against the Sharks. An unbeaten maiden hundred for Usman moves the Brown Caps back into contention in the South East Division of the Friends Provident Trophy.

The Surrey Brown Caps made the trip back down to Hove to take on the Sussex Sharks under lights. Mark Butcher was fit again to take his place in the side and replaced Neil Saker, opting for extra batting. The Brown Caps won the toss and elected to bat on a used pitch at the County Ground. James Benning and Scott Newman started positively for the Brown Caps. They were more watchful than in previous outings and both waited for the right balls to punish. The Sharks bowlers did give the paring enough loose balls to hit and Newman, in particular, was very quick to capitalise on anything wide. Newman had raced to 43, with 8 boundaries, and had put on 81 with Benning before he lofted a drive off Robin Martin-Jenkins to mid-off and was caught.

After 15 overs and at the end of the second powerplay the Brown Caps had 102 on the board. Then Chris Adams, the Sharks captain, brought on the spin pairing of Michael Yardy and Tom Smith to stem the flow of runs. In the 17th over though James Benning went to 50, off 45 balls, with a cover driver for two off Yardy. The next over though saw the dismissal of Benning as he hit a full ball from Smith straight back to the bowler who took a low catch, Benning gone for 51, the Brown Caps 106 for 2.

Usman Afzaal joined Mark Ramprakash and they proceeded to take their time as the Sharks spinners controlled the middle. They batted patiently and knocked the ball around picking up singles and never got tired down. Usman plays spin so effortlessly and played the role that the Brown Caps have missed in that middle order, possibly ever since Graham Thorpe retired. Together they paced the middle period of the innings and laid the foundation for a big total. The re-introduction of seam was good for the Brown Caps as Ramprakash began to improvise. In one Martin-Jenkins over, he played a deftly late cut for four, followed by a sweep for four and finally he moved way outside his leg stump to cut off his stumps for another four as 17 came from the over. Usman began to attack the bowling as the Brown Caps moved passed 200 in the 34th over when Afzaal lifted Smith over mid-wicket for four.

Tom Smith finished with 1 for 41, but the Brown Caps were rolling along and building all the time. Usman began to open his arms and both he and Ramprakash went passed 50. The pair had put on 153 for the third wicket before Rayner finally bowled Ramprakash for 63, off 80 balls, leaving the Brown Caps 259 for three in the 41st over. Ali Brown joined Usman, and it was the left-hander who accelerated. He continued to hit the spinners all around the ground and went to a maiden one-day hundred for the Brown Caps off 92 balls. Brown then bludgeoned 40 runs for himself off 27 balls, but it was Usman who stole the show. He stuck some clean shots over the rope in the final few overs as he finished on 126 off 104 deliveries. The Brown Caps posting 346 for three.

Jade Dernbach did the early damage and removed two of the Sharks top-order. The Brown Cap paceman bowled a probing spell from the Sea end. Dernbach first removed Chris Nash by bowling the Sharks opener. Then he removed Rayner with a fabulous slower delivery that confused the batsman and he was LBW for just 6. Nicholson then got the wicket of Andrew Hodd as he was trapped LBW for 33 as the Sharks were struggling on 81 for three. Chris Schofield bowled a beautiful spell as he found lots of turn from the wearing pitch and claimed the wicket of Adams for 40. The Brown Caps constantly took wickets to put the pressure on and Usman claimed the vital wicket of Murray Goodwin as the Sharks fell to 147 for five. All of the Sharks tried to up the rate but nobody got settled and the Brown Caps kept taking wickets as the Sharks finished on 279 for 8. With Nicholson and Afzaal finishing with two wickets apiece and Dernbach taking three.

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