Bears one win from glory
Ian Bell underlines his class in front of the television cameras with a superb unbeaten 90 as Warwickshire cruise home
|width:300|align:right|caption:Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott combined to rattle off Surrey's total of 200 for eight with the minimum of fuss at the Brit Oval]
Warwickshire strengthened their bid for the NatWest Pro40 Division Two title by brushing aside Surrey by nine wickets at the Brit Oval.
After Surrey laboured to 200 for eight against accurate bowling, the Bears cruised to their target with five overs to spare.
Jonathan Trott (79 not out) and Ian Bell (90no) fully seized the opportunity, in front of the television cameras, with an unbroken second-wicket partnership of 169.
Warwickshire know that victory in their final Pro40 fixture, away to Lancashire on Sunday week, would secure the title.
After struggling Surrey chose to bat, they were always kept on a tight rein. They soon lost skipper Stewart Walters for nine when his middle stump was knocked out by Indian seamer Sri Sreesanth.
While Michael Brown took the anchor role, Usman Afzaal sought acceleration. The former England batsman struck 40 from 44 balls with five fours but then attempted an ugly heave at Steffan Piolet and was smartly stumped by Tim Ambrose.
Jonathan Trott accompanies Bell during an unbroken 169-run stand for the second wicket. He finished unbeaten on 79
Against the slow medium of Piolet and the left-arm spin of Ant Botha, runs arrived largely in singles. Brown and Gary Wilson added 57 in 11 overs before the latter chipped Trott to mid-on where Botha took a smart low catch.
Botha then struck two big blows with the ball, trapping Brown and Matt Spriegel lbw with successive deliveries.
Trott added the scalps of Rangana Herath and Richard Logan to finish with 3-36, passing 50 List A wickets in the process.
Tim Linley, who made 20, lifted Piolet for the first six of the innings in the final over but Warwickshire had a modest target to chase.
Surrey needed to take every chance that came along but dropped an immediate clanger when Trott, on nought, edged Jade Dernbach to second slip and Walters fumbled.
Neil Carter hit 25 from 18 balls and, after he sent a return catch to Dernbach, Trott and Bell played it much as they chose.
Trott worked the ball round adroitly in the perfect minor role while Bell cover-drove exquisitely as only the low target denied him his third century in four innings.
