Butcher eases Surrey past Essex

Mark Butcher and Usman Afzaal's century stand saw Surrey ease to victory in a Friends Provident Trophy match at Essex reduced to 40 overs each due to rain.

Varun Chopra's 79 from 79 balls held the home innings together as the top order faltered, but Jade Dernbach took 3-31 as Essex slumped to 215 all out.

Shaun Newman and James Benning got the visitors off to a flyer but when the former fell, Surrey were 110-2.

Butcher (66no) and Afzaal (50no) stayed calm as Surrey won by eight wickets.

The former faced 84 deliveries in a chanceless innings that included six boundaries, while Afzaal struck five fours and a six.

The win keeps Surrey in with a mathematical hope of reaching the knockout stages of the competition, while denting Essex's aspirations of winning the group to earn an automatic home tie.

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