By virtue of losing fewer wickets at Hove yesterday, Sussex were responsible for the final indignity to be suffered by Surrey in this year’s Benson and Hedges Cup.

The home side’s lower order is not known for its ability to time the ball. But, if nothing else, it should be noted after this game for its sense of timing, which was perfect. Sussex could not possibly have left their victory push any later.

Mark Davis won the gold award for two crucial wickets - those of Alistair Brown and Azhar Mahmood - and his even more vital runs. Needing 18 to win off two overs, he carved Philip Sampson through point before pulling him fine for another four.

Poor Sampson. Prior to his final over the 21-year-old had bowled impressively - as he had done in the visitors’ previous match - but Davis latched onto anything slightly short of a length and before the bowler knew it his figures had gone from being 8-0-36-1 to 9-0-50-1.

The turning point, however, came in the 40th over when, with seven overs to go, the home side required 53 to win with just four wickets remaining. Surrey on the other hand had to lose one more over of Ian Ward’s medium pace somewhere.

To give the Surrey captain his due, having just accounted for Cottey and Martin-Jenkins a third - forced upon him by the back injury to James Ormond - looked a safe bet at that stage; only it went for fifteen runs including a swept six from Will House.

It undid all of the visitors’ good work. Martin Bicknell, often Surrey’s best bowler when the fielding restrictions are in place, conceded just 19 runs in his opening spell of seven overs. Bicknell had also produced an absolute ‘pearler’ to see the back of Chris Adams.

Ormond then withdrew after being hit either side of the wicket by Murray Goodwin. But, after losing his leg stump to a free hit, the Zimbabwean was caught behind attempting to give Azhar the charge. That left Sussex needing over 150 to win and all their hopes, seemingly, resting on Richard Montgomerie.

The requirement soon went past a run a ball as Mahmood repeatedly beat the outside edge of Tony Cottey’s bat. Montgomerie and Cottey took 15 overs over 65 and in hindsight one could argue that by getting them out Surrey contributed to their own downfall.

The visitors’ total of 220 owed everything to Alistair Brown, who struck 97 off 89 balls including a number of blows over mid-off. After winning the toss and electing to bat, Surrey took a while to get going. They lost Michael Carberry and Alec Stewart in the process, both to pull strokes.

Brown and Ward then added 91 in 15 overs for the third wicket. While they occupied the crease a total in excess of 250 was not beyond the visitors, but the latter was out to the last ball of the 31st over - bowled through the gate by House.

Nadeem Shahid kept the momentum going - batting far more positively than at any other time in this competition - as did Azhar Mahmood and Scott Newman. But all three perished before they could become threatening.

Without Tudor and Salisbury to eek out runs in the lower order Surrey were guilty, yet again, of not utilising all of their overs. Billy Taylor also played his part, though, rounding things off with a hat-trick.

If Surrey had conceded one less run and scored one more last Wednesday, they would probably have sneaked into the last eight ahead of Lancashire and the dream of retaining Ben’s trophy would still be alive. Sometimes, however, there is a fine line between success and failure.

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