Kevin Pieterse has been overlooked for England selection. Photo credit: Paul Thomas/ PA wire

Hampshire beat Surrey by six wickets

Surrey’s hopes of retaining their Clydesdale Bank 40 crown were dealt a major blow at the Ageas Bowl, where the Hampshire Royals snuck home with eleven balls to spare to remain top of Group B.

In reply to the visitors’ 175 for nine, Michael Carberry put the hosts on course with a measured 54 off 94 balls. Following a late flurry of wickets it was left to Sean Ervine and Michael Bates to finish off the south Londoners, who, earlier in the day, were indebted to a fifth wicket stand of 94 between Zander de Bruyn (57) and Matthew Spriegel (47).

After winning the toss, Surrey slipped to 16 for three. In the fifth over, Liam Dawson struck twice in as many balls, Rory Hamilton-Brown going caught behind off a lifting delivery to be followed by Kevin Pietersen, who propped forward and had his bails trimmed by the 22-year-old slow left-armer.

Moments later, Chris Wood notched up fifty wickets in one-day cricket, when he got one to hurry on to Jason Roy and flatten his off peg. But, from being 28 for three at the end of the tenth over, the visitors fought back to post a respectable total.

Steven Davies cover drove Dawson for four in the 11th over, but in the next the Surrey stumper went caught down the leg side off David Griffiths for 23 to bring Zander de Bruyn to the crease.

In partnership with Matthew Spriegel, de Bruyn clawed it back for Surrey. The South African announced himself by cutting Griffiths to the rope at cover point before slog sweeping Danny Briggs for four in the 13th over to move into double figures.

Spriegel then edged a hook off Griffiths to fine leg. The 25-year-old left-hander failed to find the boundary again, but there are few better in the one-day game at judging a single than Spriegel.

The 26th over saw de Bruyn cut Simon Katich for four before helping Sean Ervine to the rope at fine leg to take Surrey past the 100-mark. The visitors took the batting powerplay in the 35th over, but promptly lost Spriegel, who reverse swept Briggs to go caught at point for 47.

Zafar Ansari survived a caught and bowled chance first ball to hit a quickfire 30 in 17 deliveries, though not before de Bruyn had moved to a 65-ball half-century.

In the 37th over, Ansari pulled Wood for two fours in the space of four deliveries before hitting the left-arm seamer in direction of the eastern terrace for six to make it 167 for five.

But, thereafter, the Surrey innings fell away starting with the double loss of de Bruyn and Ansari, who lofted successive deliveries from Griffiths to long-off.

Needing 176 to win, Hampshire overcame the early loss of James Vince before faltering when victory was within sight. Vince, who survived a stumping chance off Murali Kartik before troubling the scorers, was run out in the fourth over, attempting a suicidal run after seeing Michael Carberry dab the 35-year-old slow left-armer to Ansari at backward point.

The seventh over saw Jimmy Adams reverse sweep Spriegel for four. In the eighth, Carberry pulled Hamilton-Brown through wide mid-on before cutting the former Surrey captain to the rope at deep backward point for another boundary.

Five overs later, Adams flicked Jade Dernbach for four backward of square on the leg side, but next ball, gloved a pull through to the wicketkeeper to make it 47 for two.

In the 24th over, Neil McKenzie ended a ten-over wait for a boundary when he reverse swept Ansari. Three overs later, Carberry brought his fifty up, off 80 balls, with a straight six off Gareth Batty.

McKenzie pulled Dernbach off the front foot for four. But then Kartik struck twice in the space of seven deliveries when the South African holed out to deep square leg for 38 and Carberry, looking for the reverse sweep, went caught behind.

With 27 needed from 34 deliveries, Katich drove a slower ball from Dernbach straight to mid-on. Four balls later, Dawson over-balanced to go stumped off Ansari. But with Ervine helping Dernbach past the man at short fine leg in the 37th over and Bates picking Ansari up over midwicket for six in the 38th, Hampshire prevailed.