Faced with such a daunting target, Nottinghamshire never recovered from the loss of early wickets and subsided to187 all out and defest by 174 runs.

Surrey's colossal total was the highest by any county since the competition was reduced to 50 overs-a-side, surpassing Kent's 338 for six against Somerset five years ago.

The impossibility of Notts' task - they had to score at more than seven runs an over - was further underlined by the fact that no side batting second has ever scored more than 318 in the history of the competition.

And as if overawed by such a challenge they soon sealed their fate with some unimpressive batting.

John Morris was run out by Alex Tudor in the fourth over and Darren Bicknell soon followed, deceived by a slower ball from his brother Martin.

Ward raced to 50 in only 41 balls

Ed Giddins gained the crucial wicket of Greg Blewett, bowling the Australian as he came down the pitch to attempt a horrid smear, before Paul Johnson was unfortunate to be adjudged leg before to Bicknell after an inside edge on to his pad to leave Surrey 47 for four.

Usman Afzaal and Pietersen checked Surrey's progress with some attractive and aggressive stroke play to add 68, the easily the best of the innings, but when Afzaal was bowled by Tudor, Notts' final faint hope was gone.

The excellent Pietersen at least saw it through to the end to prevent an absolute rout. His entertaining innings finished on 78 not out from 67 balls.

Butcher and Ian Ward had given the county champions a flying start with a whirlwind opening stand of 112 in 17 overs before Ward fell to Richard Stemp for 56 from 50 balls.

By the time the fielding restrictions were eased after 15 overs, Surrey were into three figures with Notts captain Bicknell, playing against his former county, having already turned to Stemp's left-arm spin.

Stemp celebrates the wicket of Ward

And it was Stemp who made the breakthrough, albeit with an element of good fortune.

The ball turned from outside Ward's off-stump, struck wicketkeeper Chris Read's gloves and pads and rolled on to the stumps with Ward out of his ground.

Nadeem Shahid was promoted to number three with orders to hit out. and did to good effect to make 32 in 20 balls as the second-wicket pair added 48 in six overs.

Afzaal bowled Shahid in his first over, but Alec Stewart joined Butcher to continue the home side's brisk progress.

They put on 46 in seven overs until Butcher, seeking to flick Harris over mid-wicket, could only manage a leading edge to Bicknell at mid-on.

Brown hit a quickfire 49

But still the assault went on.

Alistair Brown made 49 from 37 balls in a stand of 98 in 13 overs, before he and Stewart (67 in 67 balls) fell in the same Afzaal over

Surrey lost a flurry of wickets in the closing overs, but with Ben Hollioake catching the mood with some lusty blows they placed one foot firmly in the final.

Surrey: I J Ward, M A Butcher, A J Stewart (Wkt), A D Brown N Shahid, A J Hollioake (Capt), B C Hollioake, A J Tudor M P Bicknell, Saqlain Mushtaq, E S H Giddins.

Nottinghamshire: D J Bicknell (Capt), J E Morris, G S Blewett U Afzaal, P Johnson, K P Pietersen, C M W Read (Wkt), G D Clough A J Harris, G J Smith, R D Stemp.