BBC SPORT | Cricket | Counties | Surrey upset at Lord's

At Lord's: Middlesex 124-2 after 30.2 overs (2pts) beat Surrey 123 all out after 38 overs by eight wickets

Owais Shah hit an unbeaten half-century to lead Middlesex to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over a star-studded Surrey side in the Benson & Hedges Cup match at Lord's.

Observing that rain had affected the square on Saturday, home skipper Angus Fraser opted to bowl first when he won the toss, and saw Ashley Noffke and Chad Keegan take three wickets each to bowl Surrey out for 123.

Shah faced just 45 deliveries for his 50 not out, hitting seven fours as Middlesex refused to be distracted by continual breaks for rain.

Shah joined Ben Hutton in adding an unbroken 82 for the third wicket, easing home with almost 20 overs remaining, just in time to avoid another storm.

The home side suffered a minor wobble when openers Andrew Strauss and Sven Koenig were dismissed in quick succession.

Strauss flashed at Jimmy Ormond to be taken at gully for 24 and Koenig was run out for 13

Mark Butcher
Butcher's 51 was enough to gain the man of the match award
Mark Butcher was the only batsman to make an impression, his 51from 81 deliveries enough to take the gold award.

But his dismissal, bowled through the gate by Noffke, marked the end of Surrey hopes for a revival.

After a slow start by both openers, Alec Stewart was first to fall, edging Keegan behind for four.

Mark Ramprakash followed, gaining an edge to Paul Weekes at slip, and was the first of four wickets to fall for the addition of 14 runs.

Ian Ward and Alex Tudor were both run out as the pressure began to tell.

Middlesex: A J Strauss, S G Koenig, B L Hutton, O A Shah, E C Joyce P N Weekes, D C Nash (Wkt), A A Noffke, S J Cook A R C Fraser (Capt), C B Keegan.

Surrey: M A Butcher (Capt), I J Ward, M R Ramprakash A J Stewart (Wkt), A D Brown, N Shahid, Azhar Mahmood, A J Tudor M P Bicknell, E S H Giddins, J Ormond.

Umpires: I J Gould and J H Hampshire


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