Mahmood and Batty guide Surrey home In see-saw thriller
Published 22 April 2007
Surrey put their disappointing Championship defeat behind them to register their opening win of the season against the Kent Spitfires in the Friends Provident Trophy, eventually prevailing by three wickets at the end of a dramatic match that kept a good crowd royally entertained and on the edge of their seats from start to finish.
When Kent Spitfires slumped to 52-7 in the fourteenth over of the day, their top order batting having been demolished by some brilliant new-ball bowling from the outstanding Mohammad Akram (3-21) and Azhar Mahmood, most spectators were probably expecting to be wending their way home in mid-afternoon. 
Akram celebrates his dismissal of Matt Walker Rob Key, the Kent captain, and James Tredwell proceeded to drag their side back into the game, however, compiling the second-highest eighth-wicket partnership in the history of limited-overs cricket with intelligent batting that included some scintillating strokeplay. Their brilliant stand, worth 174 runs in twenty-six overs, breathed life into the contest, with Tredwell registering a career-best 88 and Key compiling a superb 108 at exactly a run a ball before he was trapped lbw by Chris Schofield in the fortieth over. The magnificent efforts of the two Spitfires’ heroes managed to boost the visitors’ final total to 271 before Steve Magoffin claimed the wicket of Simon Cook to record his best limited-overs figures of 4-58 and provide Jon Batty with his fifth catch of the Kent innings.
The Brown Caps’ victory target didn’t appear unduly demanding on a good pitch situated well over to the gasholders side of the ground, but a slight rethink was required when James Benning departed with the score on 44 and Mark Ramprakash followed him back to the pavilion fifteen runs later. With Scott Newman regularly blazing the ball to the boundary while maintaining the fine form he had shown against Yorkshire and Mark Butcher enjoying his first knock of the season, Surrey gradually regained control until impressively accurate spells by Tredwell (2-34) and Simon Cook (1-36) applied the brakes in the middle of the innings. 
Jon Batty is congratulated by Steve Magoffin as the players leave the field As the required run rate started to rise, the game suddenly took a dramatic twist in favour of the visitors with Butcher (42), Brown and Newman (73) departing in the space of fourteen deliveries, leaving the Brown Caps struggling at 147-5 after thirty-two overs with two completely fresh batsmen at the crease. Batty and Mahmood made light of their seemingly daunting task, though, and turned the tide for their team with a mixture of big hitting, clever stroke placement and good running between the wickets. Azhar scorched his way to a 37-ball half-century that included four fours and two sixes before falling to Yasir Arafat with Surrey just fifteen short of their target and the game as good as won, while Batty completed his no less impressive fifty from 45 balls to shepherd his side over the finishing line with seven balls to spare.
To view the scorecard from today's play please click here
Surrey's next match is in the LV County Championship at the Brit Oval against Hampshire on Wednesday 25 April. If you want to come down to watch Surrey take on Hampshire, tickets will cost £6 for under 16s and £12 for adults. Gates will be open from 10am, with play scheduled to get under way at 11am.
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