County cricket returns to Guildford this week, when Surrey entertain Nottinghamshire in the Royal London Cup.
Richard Spiller takes a look back at the previous five List A encounters between the two sides at Woodbridge Road.
John Player League, Sunday Sept 2, 1973 – Notts won by 6 wickets
There was much excitement that the Nottinghamshire side would include Garry Sobers, the world’s greatest all-rounder, who had spent the second half of the summer mixing international appearances for West Indies on their tour of England with games for his adopted county. This game fitted in neatly between the Tests and one-day internationals.
Surrey were indebted to Graham Roope (45) and Dudley Owen-Thomas (48) for reaching 172 all out in 39.3 overs – no one else topping 17 – as Jamaican left-arm seamer Carlton Forbes finished off the innings by claiming 5-38.
Key man for Notts was opener Bob White, who batted throughout the reply for an unbeaten 86, Sobers making 24. Scoring was never easy, though, and the visitors still needed two off the final delivery only for Nirmal Nanan to edge the ball to the boundary.
Surrey 172ao (39.3), Nottinghamshire 175-4, (40).
John Player Special League, Sunday July 21, 1985 – Notts won by 12 runs
An injury-ravaged season left Surrey severely exposed in limited overs games in 1985, although their sound batting ensured a solid County Championship campaign.
They finished bottom in the JPSL, Notts one of nine sides to inflict defeat as the visitors reached 223-7 from their 40 overs. The highlight was a second-wicket stand of 102 for the second wicket between Chris Broad (69) and Derek Randall (65), two wickets from Trinidadian paceman Tony Gray slowing the momentum.
Alan Butcher (46) and Grahame Clinton (72) launched the reply by putting on 90 but a middle-order collapse followed, Andy Needham’s 52no the only other major contribution. Richard Hadlee, Eddie Hemmings and Andy Pick all finished with two wickets.
Nottinghamshire 223-7 (40), Surrey 211-8 (40).
Axa Equity & Law League, Sunday July 23 1995 – Surrey won by 1 run
It was much more than two defeats in previous encounters which left Surrey desperate to win this encounter. Coming into the match they had won just twice in nine Sunday outings, as well as being bottom of the County Championship, in what was proving a miserable 150th anniversary season both on and off the field.
With skipper Alec Stewart among many injury absences, Adam Hollioake had taken charge and his cool head proved crucial. After being sent in, the hosts had Darren Bicknell (58), Graham Thorpe (66) and Nadeem Shahid (46no) to thank for posting 268-8.
That did not seem enough when Paul Pollard (43) and Tim Robinson (70) opened the reply with 111, followed by New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns’s technicolor 69 in 39 balls. Australian seamer Carl Rackemann’s 2-37 from eight overs proved crucial but going into the final over, Notts needed 11. Hollioake had already dismissed Cairns and now restricted the visitors so that Jonathan Wileman’s six off the final delivery was in vain.
Surrey 268-8 (40), Notts 267-6 (40).
Norwich Union League, Division 2, Sunday July 23 2000 – Surrey won by 127 runs
A new format (and another change of sponsor) meant that when the sides clashed again five years later, it was in Division Two of a competition which could either be played on Sundays or in midweek under lights.
Surrey – having dropped into the second tier when the league was split at the end of 1998, finishing bottom – were intent on not only retaining their County Championship title but gaining a spot in the Division One. This was to prove the crucial match in winning the title and finishing two points ahead of Nottinghamshire.
There was more parochial interest too in the clash of two of Guildford’s favourite sons. While Martin Bicknell led the Surrey attack, brother Darren had departed to Trent Bridge at the end of the 1999 season, fate bringing them back for a duel on the ground where they had played so much of their early cricket.
They had to wait, though, while Graham Thorpe scored a magnificent unbeaten 126 in 127 balls, dominating the home side’s 273-3 from their 45 overs, aided by Ian Ward (541) and Alistair Brown (37).
That set the stage for Bicknell v Bicknell, Martin getting the better of the early exchanges and looking almost upset as Darren when his brother was run out for 14. Jason Gallian’s 42 was the best of a modest reply which slumped to 146 all out, Saqlain Mushtaq and Jason Ratcliffe finishing with three wickets apiece.
Surrey 273-3 (45), Notts 146ao (35.2).
Clydesdale Bank 40, Group B, Sunday July 2012 – Notts won by 5 wickets
This match was effectively over before many spectators had taken their seats.
Winners of the Clydesdale 40 – another new look – the previous summer, Surrey were no longer a potent force and by the fourth over were in dreadful trouble at 8-5, paceman Darren Pattinson claiming three wickets. That they scrambled to 123 all out owed much to Matt Spriegel’s 39 aided by Zafar Ansari (16), acting captain Gareth Batty (24) and Jon Lewis (16). Pattinson, Harry Gurney and Jake Ball all finished with two wickets.
There was no hurry for Nottinghamshire, off-spinner Spriegel delivering his eight overs for 20, James Taylor’s 41no piloting them to a subdued victory by five wickets with 9.3 overs in hand.
Surrey 123ao (33.4), Notts 124-5 (30.3).
