All-round contributions from Jason Ratcliffe and Ian Salisbury, coupled with valuable half-centuries by Mark Ramprakash and Ian Ward handed the Surrey Lions their biggest margin of victory in this season’s Norwich Union League on Sunday, writes Marcus Hook.

It must have been a chastening experience for an Eagles side which, eight days ago, had only suffered one defeat in the NUL and had the benefit of two games in hand over their divisional rivals.

The cockiness acquired from beating Surrey in seven out of their previous nine one-day meetings was conspicuous by its absence from the moment Ronnie Irani won the toss and surprisingly inserted the home side.

On a blazing hot day and an excellent Guildford pitch the Lions racked up the highest total seen in the second division this summer, setting a Sunday League record for matches between Surrey and Essex in the process.

The Eagles used seven bowlers in an attempt to find the right combination, but only Irani came out of the game with his reputation untarnished.

Andrew McGarry went for 74 runs in nine overs and John Stephenson, who bowled with such telling accuracy when the two sides met in this season’s Benson and Hedges Cup, conceded three wides as the visitors’ poor control cost them nearly two additional overs.

Ian Ward, who survived chances on 37 and 51, made up for Alistair Brown’s early departure by taking 62 off 57 balls. In partnership with Mark Ramprakash, the left-hander put on 77 in twelve overs for the second wicket before falling to the bowling of Tim Phillips.

Ramprakash (74) passed fifty for the third time in a row in limited-overs cricket, lifting James Middlebrook for successive sixes in the 30th over, as the former Middlesex man and Rikki Clarke added a further 58 in half an hour.

But it was the Lions’ charge for the line, led by Jason Ratcliffe’s 53 in 31 deliveries, which left the Eagles totally demoralised going into the break.

Surrey took ninety runs off the last eight overs. Ratcliffe, batting for the first time this season, was aided and abetted by Nadeem Shahid and Ian Salisbury, not to mention the visitors’ less than flattering fielding display.

Essex were behind the rate right from the off thanks to Alex Tudor and Tim Murtagh, who has bowled exceptionally well in both of his outings this summer. The 20-year-old accounted for Darren Robinson in the eighth over before Jon Dakin and William Jefferson moved the total along to 86.

Three wickets then fell in four overs. Jefferson was bowled by Murtagh, Dakin departed to a catch by Clarke off his own bowling and Ronnie Irani holed out at deep mid-wicket.

Everything rested on the experienced head of Andy Flower and the young shoulders of Mark Pettini. While they were at the crease, picking off seven runs an over, the Eagles were never completely out of the game.

Pettini slog-swept Salisbury for six in the 24th over and fetched the leg-spinner for another maximum two overs later. But then, after switching ends, Jason Ratcliffe removed the nineteen-year-old’s leg stump.

It was a crucial moment. The pair had added 99 the fifth wicket. Ashley Cowan skied a catch to Hollioake soon afterwards, prompting a dramatic collapse which saw Essex lose their last five batsmen for 13 runs in the space of 29 balls.

Ratcliffe finished with career best figures of four for 44, whilst Salisbury (3-44) enjoyed his best one-day return this campaign.

The only blot on the day was the news that Rikki Clarke’s father had to be rushed into hospital, resulting in his son taking temporary leave from the field. We all hope Bob makes a speedy recovery.

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