Brown trumps Morris' century

A seemingly impressive Notts Outlaws total of 277-7 was made to look very inadequate as a typically explosive knock from Ally Brown lifted an under strength Surrey Lions to an improbable five-wicket win.

Brown's 130 enabled his side to keep ahead of the run-rate and reach their 278 target with two overs to spare. After batting well the Outlaws go into the final week of the season still not sure of avoiding relegation.

The Lions reply got off to the worst possible start when debutant Scott Newman followed an away swinger from Greg Smith and nicked the second ball of the innings to Chris Read.

Ally Brown and Gareth Batty decided not to go down without a fight and batted positively to score at seven an over for the first ten overs of the innings.

Brown had a huge let-off on 12 when he hoisted Smith to deep square leg but Richard Logan misjudged the flight and spilled the chance. Logan was to feel the effect more than most as the hard-hitting Brown twice hit him over the ropes in the next over.

With Batty also punishing anything slightly off-line the Outlaws attack came under real pressure. A.J Harris conceded 25 from his first two over mini-spell as Brown scorched to his 50 (49 mins 35 balls 2x6 7x4) and then really pressed the accelerator by greeting the arrival of Greg Blewett with sixes into the Radcliffe Road Stand and then out of the ground on the Parr side.

Brown's assault on all the bowlers included Pietersen, who was launched into the Hound Road Stand but on 99 the batsman was given a life when Darren Bicknell's poor throw gave Read no chance of completing a routine run out.

Brown duly reached his ton (79 mins 65 balls 5x6 10x4) and in the same over Batty chalked up his second consecutive NUL 50 (74 mins 53 balls 8x4). Passing 159 the stand became Surrey's highest for any wicket in the competition against Notts and it progressed to 189 before the returning Harris clean-bowled Batty for 63.

Harris struck twice in his next over, inducing Michael Carberry to nick through to Read and then castling Ricky Clarke, the second Lions debutant to make a duck.

Brown was joined by his skipper, Adam Hollioake, who shared a stand of 33 before the centurion holed out to Paul Johnson for 130, to give Harris his fourth scalp.

47 were needed from the last 10 overs and sensible accumulation by Hollioake and Nadeem Shahid ensured the victory.

Earlier John Morris had scored his first one-day century for Notts, making 102 out of a total of 277-7. Kevin Pietersen and Usman Afzaal also chipped in with half-centuries whilst it was also a momentous day for Paul Johnson who eclipsed Derek Randall's record as the counties all-time leading run scorer in the competition.