National League D1, Chelmsford: Surrey 268-8 beat Essex 253 all out by 15 runs
A remarkable seventh wicket partnership of 144 between captain Adam Hollioake and Pakistani international Azhar Mahmood paved the way to victory for the Lions.
Surrey had been in all sorts of strife at 82-6 having been asked to bat first by Essex skipper Ronnie Irani.
Hollioake and Azhar, however, refused to be cowed into watchful mode and tore into the medium pace of Graham Napier, and the spin of Paul Grayson and Jamie Middlebrook.
Hollioake ended with 77 off 66 balls and Azhar almost made a rare ton at number eight, falling in the final over for 98.
In reply, Essex got off to a rollicking start with Will Jefferson hitting 47 off just 36 balls, but regular wickets started tumbling with Saqlain Mushtaq and Alex Tudor sharing six of them.
And though Irani (64) and James Foster (41) did their best, the target always looked a little too big.
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