Surrey secure home tie with crushing win

Jason Roy hit a brilliant century while Jade Dernbach and Chris Schofield took four wickets each as Surrey Lions beat Leicestershire Foxes by 141runs at Grace Road to clinch a home tie in the semi-finals of the Clydesdale Bank 40.

Roy blazed his way to a career-best 131 off 99 balls to lead Surrey to a formidable total of 292 for six. It was the 21-year-old's second successive century in the competition having scored 101 last week against Warwickshire. Then Dernbach, named in the England one-day squad for Thursday's game against Ireland, took four wickets for seven runs and leg spinner Schofield bagged four for 26 as the Foxes were bowled out for 151 in 25.5 overs.

Once an opening stand of 75 was broken the hosts collapsed dramatically, losing nine wickets for 76 runs in 16 overs - the last seven of them falling for just 25 runs in nine overs - to hand the visitors a 10th win in the competition this season. To add to the Foxes' problems, left-arm seam bowler Harry Gurney was unable to bat having come off the field with a side strain midway through his sixth over.

Gurney has been one of Leicestershire's key bowlers in their successful Friends Life t20 campaign, which has taken them to finals day at Edgbaston on Saturday. Surrey made a disappointing start to their innings, losing two wickets for 12 runs in the first three overs before Roy took centre stage producing a sublime knock.

He raced to 50 off 35 balls with six boundaries plus a straight six off Wayne White and shared a third wicket stand of 120 in just 16 overs with Tom Maynard. However, it was Roy who dominated the partnership with some superb shots both sides of the wicket.

The pair were separated when Maynard was finally bowled by Josh Cobb, having made 33 in the partnership. Roy continued to lead the Lions' charge for a big total, reaching back-to-back centuries in the competition off 79 balls with eight fours and three sixes.

It was a fabulous innings and with Matthew Spriegel also blasting a 35-ball half-century the home attack continued to leak runs. White finally claimed Roy's wicket, bowling him as he tried yet another big shot. By then, however, it was too little too late for the Foxes and they faced the daunting target of 293 to win.

Cobb and Jacques du Toit gave them the perfect start with a stand of 75 in 10 overs with Cobb racing to a half century off 29 balls, hitting two sixes and seven fours. But once Dernbach had dismissed both of them in the same over the Foxes capitulated with wickets falling at regular intervals.

Even James Taylor, also in the England squad for the Ireland match, could do little about it, falling to Schofield for 21 as Surrey cruised through to victory with 14 overs to spare.