One-Day Cup 2024, WARKS vs SUR Group B Match Report, August 02, 2024

Warwickshire 311 for 9 (Benjamin 75, Burgess 60, Taylor 3-43) beat Surrey 308 for 9 (Sibley 149, Geddes 62) by three runs

Warwickshire retained their 100 per cent record in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup as they beat a heavily-depleted Surrey side by three runs in a thriller at Rugby School.

After choosing to bowl, Surrey enjoyed early success when Ed Barnard edged Taylor to slip in the fourth over. Rob Yates (40) and Will Rhodes (44) then added 58 in 11 overs but perished before turning their innings into match-shaping ones.

Yates’ fluent knock ended when he pulled a Geddes long-hop to deep square leg. Rhodes was bowled off-stump by Steel. Hamza Shaikh (39) belted a Steel full toss into the trees over midwicket but then sought a straighter six off the spinner and found only Conor McKerr at long-on.

Benjamin and Burgess supplied impetus with a stand of 117 in 14 overs. Benjamin has endured a difficult season but struck the ball with a sweetness and power which evoked memories of his burst into prominence in 2021. He raced to 50 in 38 balls and Burgess followed to his eighth List A half-century (51 balls) before top-edging a sweep at Steel.

Benjamin, having struck six fours and four sixes, hoisted McKerr to mid off but a violent cameo from Kai Smith (26) lifted the total over the 300 mark.

Surrey’s reply was given a perky launch by openers Sibley and Ryan Patel before the latter drove Barnard straight to extra cover.

While Sibley and Geddes were together, adding 124 in 24 overs, Surrey were ascendant but the fall of Geddes, who edged Michael Booth to wicketkeeper Burgess, triggered the loss of four wickets in eight overs. Rory Burns was bowled behind his legs, sweeping at Yates, Ben Foakes lifted Barnard to mid off and Steel fell lbw, reverse-sweeping Jake Lintott.

Sibley reached his fourth List A century, his first for Surrey, the previous three having come for Warwickshire, but Josh Blake’s lively 26 ended when he scooped Oliver Hannon-Dalby to deep midwicket.

With 39 needed from three overs, Sibley lifted Hannon-Dalby for successive sixes but edged the next ball to Burgess. Last pair Nathan Barnwell and Taylor had a real go at collecting the required 20 from the last over, failing only narrowly at the end of a fine game of cricket.