Brown Caps fall at the final hurdle

3 May 2009

The Surrey Brown Caps came agonisingly close to a first win in the Friends Provident Trophy against the Durham Dynamos. A magnificent 109 not out from Mark Ramprakash was not quite enough as The Dynamos won by one run.

Durham won the toss and batted at the Riverside and although Jade Dernbach and Chris Jordan bowled well with the new ball, the Dynamos got off to a solid start as Phil Mustard played positively and hit some clean boundaries. Andre Nel came into the attack first change, finding a consistent line and length, and got his rewards when Michael Di Venuto played on for 29, Durham 89 for 1. Mustard was playing with a free-flowing bat and helped Durham to 100 as he hit any wide balls to the fence, but he was given two lives as Chris Schofield and Scott Newman both dropped the left-hander.

It was the Brown Caps spinners who controlled the innings as they bowled very tight and straight. Schofield was superb and his control was right on the mark. The pitch was offering some turn, as it did seam with the new ball, and Schofield picked up two quick wickets. Gordan Muchall bowled through the gate for 6 and Will Smith LBW for 3. At the other end Matthew Spriegel was also building pressure on the batsman and Mustard played one too many aerial shots as he swept to Newman on the boundary and was caught for 61, the Dynamos 112 for 4.

After Spriegel and Schofield both claimed two wickets and had controlled the middle overs the Brown Caps would be disappointed at how they let Durham off the hook. After Grant Elliott had Gareth Breese brilliantly caught behind for 15 by Jonathan Batty the score was 150 for 6, the Brown Cap wicket-keeper diving full length to his right and grasping a one handed catch. From this point though the Brown Caps let Durham get away as Dale Benkenstein bossed the last overs. He played himself in and then took advantage as Usman Afzaal tried to rotate his bowlers, but could not keep the runs at bay. Both Liam Plunkett and Callum Thorp played sensibly, helping Benkenstein use up the overs and take Durham to a larger than expected total as 98 runs came off the last 10 overs. Benkenstein finishing on 77 not out and the Dynamos posting 266 for 7.

The Brown Caps’ reply started well as Michael Brown and Scott Newman went along comfortably at five runs per over and looked untroubled as they put on 54 for the first wicket, Brown pulling well and Newman once again playing strong through the off-side. Brown was out though when he miss-hit a pull off Mitchell Claydon to mid-on for 28. Newman, having been recalled to the side made a real claim to continue at the top of the order, as he batted with real composure and was confident against the Durham quick’s, Thorp coming under some punishment and the ever present threat of Steve Harmison being negated. Newman was joined by Mark Ramprakash and the pair put on 109 for the second wicket as they built a base for the run chase. Newman would depart for 70 when he got the finest of edges to Plunkett and Usman Afzaal would go after facing only three balls as he played across the line against Ian Blackwell and was LBW for a duck, the Brown Caps 164 for 3.

Some stability was needed and it was Ramprakash who dominated and demanded the strike. He was playing at his magnificent best, but the run rate was increasing as Spriegel struggled to rotate the strike against the spin of Blackwell and Breese. He would help Ramprakash to take the Brown Caps to the 200 mark and they were getting closer to the target. With Spriegel going for 22, edging behind off Harmison, the Brown Caps still needed 51 to win. Elliott was the man to join Ramprakash and they were making it look easy as Elliott played his typical finishing role at a run a ball.

Ramprakash then gave the Brown Caps momentum as he took 17 from the last over off a well timed batting powerplay. He whipped some ill-guided deliveries from Plunkett through the leg side and picked him up for a six to go to 100. Ramprakash looked elated and was on course to help his team win. It came down to requiring 5 off the last over and a two from Elliott left the Brown Caps needed 2 form 2 balls to win. Blackwell was bowling and Elliott advanced, but he hit straight to mid-off and went for 19.

One ball remaining and Jonathan Batty came to the crease, Blackwell bowled a short leg-side delivery and Batty hit it high into the leg–side, however it landed in Benkenstein’s lap and the Dynamos won by one run as the Brown Caps finished on 265 for 6. A disappointed Brown Caps side will now head to Leeds to play Yorkshire Carnegie on Monday.