Like the man who, last Sunday, put £11,000 on South Africa losing to Paraguay, when the latter were 2-0 up with thirty minutes to go – just to add £100 to his internet betting account – Surrey made the mistake yesterday of believing it was impossible to lose after taking command against the Northants Steelbacks.

Even in the cold light of day it will be hard to reconcile how, in the space of two hours, the visitors went from needing 118 at just over four an over with eight wickets remaining to being dismissed six runs short of their target.

All credit to Northamptonshire who didn’t look a gift horse, or in this case a pride of Lions, in the mouth. They pulled together despite having the home crowd on their backs when Alistair Brown blasted Surrey to fifty inside four overs and, again, when the 32-year-old right-hander went to his own half-century in just 29 deliveries.

Nadeem Shahid gave the first indications that perhaps the visitors were not home and hosed when he committed hari-kari after Ward was taken at silly mid-off, Brown had been dismissed in Anderson’s first over for 55 off 36 balls and Stewart had lazily driven the same bowler to wide mid-on.

A partnership of 63 in 48 minutes by Mark Ramprakash and Rikki Clarke then put Surrey back on course, but when the former Middlesex man just failed to clear Cousins at mid-off the game swung back rapidly in Northants’ favour. A thoroughly mindless display of batting led to the last six wickets falling in little more than ten overs for 44 runs.

Tudor followed Ramprakash, caught behind attempting to work the ball to off. Bicknell guided Cousins straight to point. Clarke, who could be absolved of some of the blame by dint of contributing his first fifty in one-day cricket, drove Greenidge to mid-on. Saqlain was lbw first ball, aiming to on drive the former Surrey fast bowler and Salisbury was bowled middle and leg backing away.

Northamptonshire’s surprise win was set up by a record first wicket partnership for this fixture between Mike Hussey and Mal Loye, who put on 127 in 28 overs before Ed Giddins removed the left-hander’s middle stump with his first delivery from around the wicket.

Loye’s 86 off 115 balls occupied another fifteen overs and included three sixes – two off of Rikki Clarke’s three overs and a pull-sweep off Martin Bicknell. Both he and Tony Penberthy, who made 38 at more than a run a ball, were only really troubled by the spinners, who were not utilised to the full.

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