FRIENDS PROVIDENT t20, The Oval:
Essex 121-8 (20 ovs) beat Surrey 112-7 (20 ovs) by nine runs
Match scorecard
 Symonds trudges back to pavilion after being dismissed by Ravi Bopara |
Surrey's big names flopped again as Essex claimed their first FP t20 win of the season by nine runs at The Oval. The home side looked well placed to bounce back from Tuesday's 10-wicket thrashing by Gloucestershire when they limited Essex to 121-8. But Surrey lost wickets regularly as Ravi Bopara took 3-13, including overseas stars Andrew Symonds (7) and Younus Khan (0) in successive balls. Mark Ramprakash was also needlessly run out as they fell short on 112-7. The defeat saw Surrey booed off by their own fans for the second time in little more than 48 hours and means they must now go looking for their first win of this summer's competition at much-fancied Somerset on Saturday. Their pursuit of Essex's modest score got off to a poor start when captain Rory Hamilton-Brown was caught at long-on off David Masters in the first over of their reply.  | 606: DEBATE |
But it was Bopara's double blow that proved crucial, first seeing Symonds drag the ball on to his stumps before trapping Younus leg before to leave Surrey 50-4. Ramprakash was still there at that point, but when he was run out for 24, after slipping when sent back by Usman Afzaal, the home side's fate was practically sealed. Essex had earlier also struggled with the bat. Six of their line-up reached double figures but failed to go on, leaving Grant Flower's 24 as their top score. Jade Dernbach and Chris Schofield both took 2-22, while Hamilton-Brown also claimed two wickets in an improved display in the field by Surrey that ultimately proved fruitless.
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