Trott gives Surrey a fright

Surrey kept alive their NatWest Pro40 promotion hopes despite a bold challenge by Warwickshire’s Jonathan Trott at Edgbaston.

Mark Ramprakash's late charge to an unbeaten 54 took Surrey to 238 for five and the home side were in serious contention until Trott was seventh out for 92.

Jade Dernbach turned the match for the Brown Caps by removing Trott in a burst of four wickets in 16 balls and left-arm spinner Usman Afzaal claimed 3-42 as Warwickshire were bowled out for 217 and beaten by 21 runs.

Only Jim Troughton, with 41 in a partnership of 98 from 16 overs, gave Trott significant support before a string of misplaced shots put unnecessary pressure on the opener.

Troughton was stumped in Afzaal's first over and Darren Maddy and Tim Ambrose hoisted catches on the leg-side to concede wickets to Alex Tudor and Matthew Spriegel respectively.

Ian Westwood chipped Afzaal to midwicket and Surrey were in the box seat when Dernbach took two wickets in three balls in the 35th over.

Jonathan Trott hit a valiant 92 but Warwickshire fell short of a target of 239 at Edgbaston

Stewart Walters held a chance from Ant Botha at long-on and, crucially, Trott was well caught by wicketkeeper Jon Batty after hitting nine fours from 99 balls.

Afzaal and Dernbach, who finished with 4-31, then mopped up the last three wickets in quick time.

James Benning and Ramprakash both reached 42-ball half-centuries as Surrey milked the seamers at opposite ends of their innings.

The visitors took 99 runs from the first 16 overs and plundered 80 from the last eight, but in between Warwickshire spinners Ian Salisbury (2-32) and Botha (1-25) put the brakes on.

Surrey clearly won the opening skirmishes despite an early mistake by Scott Newman in putting up a chance to Neil Carter at mid-on off New Zealand pace bowler Chris Martin.

Walters, bowled by Botha for 24 as he aimed to cut, was first to fall to spin, while Benning, having motored to 74 from 79 balls, disappointingly gave Salisbury a cheap wicket when pulling a long hop to midwicket.

The former Surrey leg-spinner also accounted for Afzaal (16) with a comfortable catch by Martin at long-on and Batty, the non-striker, was run out by Trott's return from deep point after facing only one ball.

Ramprakash put that mishap behind Surrey in a partnership of 87 from the last 10 overs with Spriegel, who finished unbeaten on 40 from only 30 balls.

The last two overs from the City End produced 38 runs as both batsmen took sixes off Tim Groenewald, and Spriegel cleared midwicket and long-on for further maximums off Trott.