Ramprakash runs riot

Mark Ramprakash continued his recent run of sparkling form with an unbeaten century as Surrey cruised to a 75-run victory over Yorkshire in their NatWest Pro40 Division Two encounter at the Brit Oval.

The former England international finished unbeaten on 106 off 101 balls – his first one-day hundred for over three years - as the Brown Caps scored a massive total of 277 for four from their 40 overs.

It was a total that the Phoenix never looked likely to reach as they got off to dreadful start, losing three wickets in reaching 15.

Anthony McGrath was out to his first ball, trapped leg before on the back foot off Azhar Mahmood.

Next to go was skipper Craig White for just three, edging a Mohammed Akram out-swinger to Jonathan Batty behind the stumps.

He was soon followed by Michael Lumb to a breathtaking catch at short mid-wicket by Ali Brown.

A stand of 58 in nine overs between Darren Lehmann and Andrew Gale kept the visitors up with the run-rate before Gale edged Akram to slip.

The Pakistani finished with figures of 3-37 after being awarded his county cap earlier in the day.

Danger man Lehmann was out in the next over for 45, lbw to a ball that came back into him, leaving Yorkshire struggling on 73 for five.

A further 39 runs were added before Nayan Doshi picked up the wickets of Gerard Brophy (21), Richard Dawson (four) and Adil Rashid (28).

Then forgotten man Chris Schofield, making his Surrey debut, snapped up his first wicket since 2003 - that of Nicholas Thornicroft for 20 - and conceded 39 runs from his eight overs.

Schofield last played county cricket in 2004 after being discarded by Lancashire, and the 27-year-old has been signed by Surrey until the end of the season following Anil Kumble’s return to India and injury to Ian Salisbury.

Earlier, Surrey got off to rapid start with Brown and Scott Newman playing some delightful shots before Brown was the first wicket to fall, caught on the square-leg boundary for 21.

Ramprakash and Newman shared a stand of 66 in 12 overs before Newman (34) was bowled attempting to heave Rashid over square leg.

Soon after Ramprakash reached his fifty from 53 balls as he and Mark Butcher took advantage of some wayward bowling and pushed the score past 150.

With the score on 188, Butcher was the fourth man out, caught in the deep for 40 to give Rashid his second wicket.

After Ramprakash had been dropped on 71 by White, partner Azhar set about the Yorkshire bowling and scored 42 from just 23 balls before he fell to Deon Kruis, bowled trying to make room to cut.