BBC SPORT | Cricket | Counties | Brown sets new world's best

C&G Trophy 4th round, The Oval
Surrey 438-5 (50 overs) beat Glamorgan 429 all out (49.5 overs) by nine runs

Surrey batsman Ali Brown rewrote the world record books with a phenomenal double century at The Oval.

But it was barely enough as Glamorgan came agonisingly close to victory in an unforgettable encounter.

Brown fired 268 in a monumental team total of 438 for five, eclipising the previous highest score for an individual in the history of limited-overs cricket anywhere in the world.

Brown's dazzling solo effort passed the 222 not out South African Graeme Pollock scored for Eastern Province against Border in 1974.

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Glamorgan responded bravely and needed 10 off the final two balls to win.

But their gallant run-chase was over when last man Dean Cosker was bowled by Adam Hollioake, sealing a quarter-final berth against Sussex for the hosts.

It was a fitting end to a most unique day's cricket, and Glamorgan played their part to ensure they would not just be on the receiving end of the many records broken.

Glamorgan's brave 429 comes in second behind Surrey in the world list of highest scores in limited-overs cricket.

It seemed a good wicket and in the first 15 overs we tried to take as much advantage of the fielding restrictions

Ali Brown

And predictably the aggregate record for most runs scored in a day - 754 between India and India 'B' in 2000/01 - was obliterated.

Somerset's 413 for four in a 60-over contest against Devon in 1990 was the previous highest team score.

And Trinidad's 409 for six against Northern Windwards in the 2001/02 season is now just third in the 50-over list.

Brown showed no clemency to any of the visiting bowlers, speeding to triple figures in 80 balls and scoring at an even quicker lick from then on.

He was finally bowled by Australian international Mike Kasprowicz in the final over, but not before plundering 30 boundaries and a dozen sixes in a 160-ball innings.

Brown's innings

Runs: 268

Balls: 160

Sixes: 12

Fours: 30

Brown shared in an opening stand of 286 with Ward, who hit 97 off 95 balls before being bowled by Croft.

He was assisted by a short 55-yard boundary on one side of the ground and was given a life when dropped in the slips early in his innings.

Darren Thomas was subjected to the harshest punishment, and his three for 108 represents the worst nine-over spell in world limited-overs history.

The only other bowler in English domestic history to concede 100 runs or more in a limited-overs match is Warwickshire's Graeme Welch, who saw Lancashire thrash 103 runs off him in 11 overs in 1995.
Croft reaches his century
Croft's hundred was all in vain for Glamorgan

An asking rate of 8.78 runs per over was always unlikely for Glamorgan.

But Croft, promoted to opener, ensured the runs ticked over with a rollicking century that made even Brown look tame.

Croft raced to triple figures in just 56 balls, but unlike Brown he could not go on and was dismissed for 119 when caught by Ward off Hollioake.

The momentum was maintained by David Hemp and he sped to 102 off 88 balls before Martin Bicknell, who went for 84 off 10 overs, picked up one of his two wickets.

A quickfire 49 from Adrian Dale kept Glamorgan on track, but hopes of an unikely win looked threadbare when he departed with the score on 295 for four.

Thomas, bruised from his earlier punishment at the hands of Brown, came to the crease with redemption in mind.

His 71 off 41 balls almost stole victory and it may have been a different story had he not been at the non-striker's end when Cosker came to the crease following the dismissal of Andrew Davies.

But ultimately there would be no fairytale ending for Glamorgan, and Hollioake picked up his fifth wicket when Cosker was bowled for a first-ball duck.

Surrey: I J Ward, A D Brown, M R Ramprakash, A J Stewart, A J Hollioake (Capt), R Clarke, J N Batty (Wkt), M P Bicknell, Saqlain Mushtaq, J Ormond, E S H Giddins.

Glamorgan: D L Hemp, R D B Croft (Capt), I J Thomas, M P Maynard, M J Powell, A Dale, M A Wallace (Wkt), S D Thomas, A P Davies, M S Kasprowicz, D A Cosker.

Umpires: I J Gould and P Willey


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