May 6: Sussex v Surrey (BHC)

Sussex's tail-enders squeezed out a thrilling victory over Surrey at Hove to ensure home advantage in the quarter-finals of the Benson and Hedges Cup.

Ian Ward the bowler, rather than Ian Ward the batsman, looked to have turned the game Surrey's way when he took wickets with successive balls, his first in county cricket, to leave Sussex needing 58 off 50 balls with four wickets in hand.

But cameos from Will House (20 off 12 balls) and Mark Davis, who scored 15 off ten, got the equation down to three runs needed from the last over which was bowled by Pakistani all-rounder Azhar Mahmood.

He gave Surrey hope by yorking Davis with the second ball, but James Kirtley and Mike Yardy managed to squeeze out a single each to tie the scores.

Kirtley was caught behind off the final delivery, but the fact that Sussex had lost one fewer wicket meant they could celebrate their first win over Surrey in the B&H since 1995.

Sussex deserve full marks for perseverance, both in the field and when they chased a target of 220 in 46 overs, after the start was delayed for 45 minutes because of morning rain.

On a good batting wicket, Surrey looked like posting a much more imposing total after they reached 173-3 with ten overs remaining, but the Sussex bowlers maintained their discipline to take the last seven wickets for 47 in 9.4 overs.

None more so than Billy Taylor who took the second B&H hat-trick by a Sussex player a year after James Kirtley had achieved the feat against Hampshire.

Taylor's magic moment came in the penultimate over. James Ormond obligingly spooned a full toss to mid-off and Phil Sampson was leg before on the back foot. Taylor's eyes must have lit up when he saw Ed Giddins walking out to face the hat-trick ball and although it pitched well outside off stump Giddins obligingly wafted at it and got a bottom edge to wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose.

Taylor finished with 4-23 to follow Sunday's 5-28 against Middlesex and received a standing ovation as he left the field. Now he must hope that his form in the past week can help him to force his way into the Championship team.

Ali Brown, who took a century off the Sussex attack at the Oval a fortnight ago, had seemingly batted Surrey into a strong position with 97 off 89 balls, including 11 fours.

But in sight of a second successive B&H century against the county, he was caught and bowled by Davis, who had earlier removed the dangerous Mahmood in the first over of a much more controlled second spell.

House bowled Ward through the gate after he had helped Brown put on 91 in 15 overs for the third wicket, but the other Surrey batsmen struggled to time the ball although Sussex, in turn, soon realised how much of a grafters' pitch it was.

Tim Ambrose belted a glorious back foot boundary off Martin Bicknell before getting under a pull and Chris Adams was undone by an outstanding delivery from Bicknell which bounced and left him as it found the thinnest of edges.

Surrey were in control when Murray Goodwin was caught behind off Mahmood, having been bowled by a no ball off the previous delivery with the total on 68 in the 19th over.

But the visitors' support bowling lacked the penetration supplied by Bicknell and Mahmood and Richard Montgomerie and Tony Cottey were able to turn the tide in a stand of 65 in 15 overs.

Montgomerie recorded his third half-century in the qualifying competition before making his only misjudgement when he hoisted a slower ball from Mahmood to deep mid-wicket. His 66 came off 96 balls with nine fours.

Sussex needed 70 off the last ten overs, but they were able to sustain their challenge, even after the loss of Cottey and Martin-Jenkins, because of the extra depth in their one-day side these days.

House pulled Ward out of the ground behind the hospitality boxes and even after Mahmood took a superb one-handed catch at mid-wicket to end his fun. Davis ensured that the tempo never dropped.

Fourteen came off Sampson's final over as Surrey's fielding wilted under pressure and although Davis wasn't there to see the job through his cameo won him a first man of the match gold award.