Ramprakash maintains form

Ramprakash kept up his run of good form

Norwich Union League D2, Southgate: Middlesex 194-8 (42 overs) lost to Surrey 197-2 (40.2 overs) by eight wickets

Match scorecard

Mark Ramprakash gave his old side a reminder of his talents by steering Surrey to an eight wicket win against Middlesex.

Ramprakash continued in his rich vein of fine form by cracking an unbeaten half century as Surrey coasted home with nearly two overs to spare in a rain affected match.

Medium pacer Tim Murtagh ripped through Middlesex's top order with three quick wickets as the Crusadors got off to a poor start batting first.

David Alleyne, Andy Strauss and Simon Koenig were back in the pavillion with only 34 runs on the board.

Ed Joyce and Owais Shah put on 55 to put Middlesex back on course, but Jason Ratcliffe struck to remove Joyce on 31.

Wickets fell at regular intervals with only Shah able to master the Surrey attack with 74 from 92 balls, including a six and four fours.

Murtagh ended with figures of 3-38 in nine tight overs and Ratcliffe took two wickets for 41 runs.

Middlesex were happy to see the back of the dangerous Alistair Brown for only nine runs as Ian Jones removed the opener early in Surrey's reply.

Ian Ward and Ramprakash put on 55 for the second wicket before Ward was dismissed by Simon Jones.

But Ramprakash struck an unbeaten 87 from 111 balls, including two sixes and five fours, in an unbroken stand of 121 with Rik Clarke.

Clarke weighed in with a 68-ball 62 with six boundaries as Surrey romped home.

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Middlesex: A J Strauss (Capt), S G Koenig, O A Shah, Abdur Razzaq E C Joyce, D Alleyne (Wkt), P N Weekes, S J Cook, A W Laraman I Jones, J W M Dalrymple.

Surrey: I J Ward, A D Brown, M R Ramprakash, R Clarke, N Shahid A J Hollioake (Capt), J N Batty (Wkt), J D Ratcliffe Saqlain Mushtaq, T J Murtagh, E S H Giddins.

Umpires: A Clarkson and B Dudleston