Surrey storm through

Mark Ramprakash opens his shoulders during his rapid innings of 85 © Getty Images

Surrey reached the Twenty20 Cup semi-finals for the fourth successive year as they overcame Gloucestershire by 80 runs at Nevil Road.

A third-wicket partnership of 139 in 12 overs between Mark Ramprakash and Rikki Clarke powered the Brown Caps to 224 for five in 20 overs after being put in to bat by Gloucestershire skipper Alex Gidman.

That enabled them to surpass their previous best total in the competition of 221 for eight against Sussex at Hove two years ago.

And the hosts never looked likely to succeed in their chase, bowled out for 144 in 18.5 overs.

They were left to rue twice dropping Clarke after they had reduced Surrey to 80 for three.

First David Brown spilled Clarke on 32 at long on off Gidman and the Surrey skipper had added only seven to his tally when Mark Hardinges put down a skier off his own bowling.

After that double setback Gloucestershire were powerless to stem the flow of boundaries from Clarke and Ramprakash in front of an
8,000-capacity crowd.

Ramprakash, who was unable to field because of a back spasm, raced to 85 from 50 balls with 10 fours and three sixes before falling to a fine catch by Gidman at cover in the final over from Ian Harvey.

Rikki Clarke launches one of his five sixes in making 79 from 42 balls © Getty Images

Clarke remained unbeaten on 79 from just 42 balls, with five sixes and four fours.

Gloucestershire missed the presence of skipper Jon Lewis, who was unable to play because of his inclusion in England’s squad for the second Test with Pakistan at Old Trafford.

Surrey scored freely from the start of their innings but the loss of three wickets in the first eight overs kept Gloucestershire in the hunt before the Ramprakash-Clarke onslaught.

Alistair Brown (11) edged Harvey to slip, James Benning (29) sliced Gidman to short third man and Mark Butcher (five) perished on the midwicket boundary off spinner Martyn Ball.

But, after Clarke’s double let-off, Surrey moved into overdrive and posted a total Gloucestershire never seriously threatened to overhaul.

The home side needed big contributions from openers Craig Spearman and Harvey, who has made three hundreds in the competition, to have any realistic hope of reaching the last four for the first time since 2003.

But Spearman made only 13 before top-edging a hook shot off Azhar Mahmood to square-leg and Harvey (23) chopped Anil Kumble onto his stumps.

With Mark Hardinges and Hamish Marshall both run out, the victims of some fine Surrey fielding, Gloucestershire’s challenge was to all intents and purposes over as they slumped to 81 for five.

Spinner Nayan Doshi hastened Gloucestershire’s decline by removing Chris Taylor, David Brown, Martyn Ball and Ian Fisher in successive overs to complete his third
four-wicket haul of the season in the competition.