Surrey crush Somerset in final repeat

Surrey, the Clydesdale Bank 40 defending champions, opened their account with a convincing 105-run victory over Somerset in a replay of last season's final. Led by captain Rory Hamilton-Brown, who set the tone with 101 off 89 balls, Surrey posted a daunting 295 for 6 before Stuart Meaker, Zafar Ansari and Gareth Batty, who each took three wickets, combined to dismiss Somerset for 190.

With Vernon Philander resting a sore back, Alfonso Thomas on IPL duty and Steve Kirby ruled out with a thigh injury, Somerset's attack contained four bowlers aged 20 or under, including 18-year old debutant Jamie Overton. That didn't deter Somerset from bowling, having won the toss, but the Surrey openers took full advantage, laying the foundation for a sizeable total by racking up 163 in 23 overs.

Hamilton-Brown was dropped at short mid-wicket on 13 and Steven Davies survived a caught-and-bowled chance on 39, off Craig Meschede. In the 15th over, Hamilton-Brown launched George Dockrell over long-on for six. In the next, he simultaneously brought up his half-century, off 53 balls, and the hundred stand.

Davies posted a 45-ball half-century and Hamilton-Brown clubbed a second maximum off Dockrell. But the re-introduction of Peter Trego produced the wicket of Davies, who was bowled around his legs for 72.

Hamilton-Brown moved to his second hundred in one-day cricket, from 87 deliveries, only to fall, moments later, to a catch on the straight boundary. Jason Roy was lbw attempting to reverse sweep Max Waller to make it 193 for 3 but then Tom Maynard and Zander de Bruyn flayed 63 in just eight overs.

In reply, Somerset suffered the early setback of losing Craig Kieswetter, beaten for pace by Meaker, and Trego, who was caught and bowled by Jon Lewis. Nick Compton and James Hildreth combined for 48 in six overs before Hildreth danced down the wicket to Batty's second ball to be stumped for 21.

Compton moved to a 48-ball fifty in the 18th over before drilling a catch back to Ansari in the next. The 20-year-old slow left-armer struck again, when Arul Suppiah chopped on, and with Jos Buttler, attempting a reverse sweep, going caught behind off Batty for 29, the writing was on the wall.

Meschede went for 20, seeking to lift Batty over long-off for a second successive six, before Waller was bowled around his legs by Ansari. Meaker then returned to dismiss Lewis Gregory and Dockrell and seal a thumping victory for Surrey.