Burns and Foakes get Surrey's campaign up and running

Surrey 235 for 4 (Burns 70*, Foakes 61*) beat Sussex 239 (Jordan 55, Wright 42, Wiese 41, Rampaul 4-47) by six wickets (D/L method)
Scorecard

Last year's beaten finalists Surrey are up and running in the Royal London Cup after easing to a six-wicket victory over Sussex Sharks at Guildford.

On a fast-scoring ground, a Duckworth-Lewis target of 235 in 43 overs always looked attainable, although Surrey briefly wobbled when they lost three wickets for six runs in 11 balls.

But from 99 for 4 the innings was rebuilt by Rory Burns and Ben Foakes, who put on an unbroken 136 in 18.3 overs, although Burns rode his luck early in his innings when he was twice dropped by Ajmal Shahzad, once off his own bowling and then at mid-off, before he reached 30.

Burns prospered thereafter and finished on 70 not out (59 balls) with five fours and two sixes, one of which landed in the road next to the ground. Foakes was undefeated on 61 from 60 deliveries (9 fours) as victory came in the 34th over.

Sussex had been bowled out for 239 with nine balls unused after their innings was reduced to 45 overs following an hour-long stoppage because of morning rain.

The Sharks, who had claimed their first win in the competition against Middlesex on Sunday, lost Chris Nash (0) to the third ball when he was squared up by Tom Curran and Ed Joyce (21), who was caught low down at second slip off Ravi Rampaul, having just hit the West Indian for successive fours and a six.

Phil Salt (21) spooned a catch to mid-on in Stuart Meaker's first over and Meaker struck again to end a promising innings by Harry Finch (31), who fatally chased width and was caught at slip.

Sussex lost their fifth wicket in the 22nd over when Ben Brown (10) was smartly stumped by Foakes aiming to hit Zafar Ansari through leg, but from an unpromising 100 for 5 the innings revived thanks to two partnerships involving Chris Jordan.

Both he and skipper Luke Wright struck the ball cleanly as they put on 69 in 11 overs before Wright was athletically held by the diving Jason Roy at point for 42. Jordan was then joined by South African David Wiese, who was making his competition debut as replacement overseas player for the injured Ross Taylor.

Wiese is regarded as a bowler, but he struck the ball impressively while Jordan was moving to his maiden List A half-century. The England international hit six boundaries in his 55 from 60 balls only for his innings to end in a tame clip to midwicket off Matt Pillans.

Kumar Sangakkara took a juggling catch on the midwicket boundary to remove Wiese for 41 off 31 balls (6 fours, 1 six) as Sussex's last three wickets fell in 11 balls for the addition of just nine runs, Rampaul finishing with 4 for 47.

Jason Roy and Steven Davies launched Surrey's response with 65 in nine overs either side of a rain stoppage before Roy (32) was held on the mid-wicket boundary in George Garton's first over.

Shahzad bowled Kumar Sangakkara (20) off an inside edge and had Ansari caught behind for a duck the ball after Garton had picked up his second wicket when Davies (36) holed out to deep mid-wicket. But it was plain sailing for Surrey thereafter as Burns and Foakes posted a new fifth-wicket record against Sussex in List A games, beating the 89 between Graham Thorpe and Adam Hollioake at Horsham in 1995.