Benning flays Crusaders

Middlesex ran into a rampant James Benning at Lord's

A third century in one-day cricket for James Benning led Surrey Brown Caps to a comfortable five-wicket win over local rivals Middlesex Crusaders in the Friends Provident Trophy at Lord’s.

Benning finished with 106 from 84 balls, including 15 fours and two sixes, before he drove straight to extra cover as the Brown Caps reached their target of 234 with three overs to spare and complete their first win of the season.

The 25-year-old was in dominant form from the start and shared an opening partnership of 87 with Scott Newman (35) before the left-hander ran himself out.

Benning then went on to share a second wicket partnership of 77 with Usman Afzaal, before the former England batsman holed out to Ed Smith at mid-on for 21.

With fifty runs still needed Mark Butcher played all around a straight ball from Vernon Philander and was trapped leg before for 12.

Then with 10 runs required Jonathan Batty top edged a pull after scoring 18 but both Alistair Brown (40) and the scoreless Chris Schofield steered the visitors home.

Half-centuries from Gareth Berg and Ben Scott had steered Middlesex to 233 for eight, a seemingly-impossible score, having been reduced to 55 for five thanks to some brilliant swing bowling from the Surrey attack.

Berg, in his first season, scored a superb 65 with some delightful shots both sides of the wicket before he was eventually out with the score 166 chasing a wide delivery from Matt Nicholson. This after he had earlier shared a sixth-wicket stand of 71 with Philander who himself fell to the Batty/Nicholson combination following a quick-fire 24.

Scott had to leave the field briefly after being hit on the elbow when on 14, but once he returned he was quickly into his stride and together with Tim Murtagh pushed the score past 200.

Scott went to his fifty in the last over with a lovely straight drive, but was dismissed with the penultimate ball, holing out to mid-wicket for 52.

Murtagh completed the innings with a boundary off the final ball to finish unbeaten on 35.

Having elected to bat, Middlesex were soon in trouble, losing their first wicket in the third over of the innings when Ed Joyce was dismissed for one, lbw to Jade Dernbach.

In the next over, Pedro Collins accounted for Ed Smith (two) as the skipper looked to force through the leg-side and was beaten by the in swing.

Two balls later Collins saw Owais Shah dropped by Batty, but the West Indian gained his revenge in his next over, trapping Shah (one) in front of the stumps, playing across the line.

Both Andrew Strauss and Eoin Morgan steadied the ship before Strauss, who had looked in good form for his 13, chopped on to his stumps from an attempted pull.

Morgan (16) became the fifth wicket to fall, offering a simple catch to Benning at backward point.