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Thorpe is a cut above

Surrey (206-5) bt Worcestershire (204-9) by five wkts

Among the memorabilia in the pavilion here is a photograph from a celebrated semi-final in which Worcestershire beat Surrey in a game of 707 runs in 1994. Yesterday's rematch will certainly not feature in the hall of fame.

An unsatisfactory pitch, which might have been acceptable locally if Worcestershire had won, must take the brickbats. The seamer-friendly conditions cramped even the best batsmen and consequently dampened the crowd's enthusiasm.

Surrey eventually took their place in the last eight with 19 balls to spare because they had the heavier firepower, and because of Graham Thorpe's dominance in a stand of 142 with Mark Butcher. Worcestershire probably guessed their fate when Vikram Solanki dropped Thorpe on 31 and failed to run out Butcher on nine.

Thorpe was unchallenged as man of the match with his unbeaten 91 and three catches, but worries persist for Alec Stewart, who was lbw propping half-forward.

New Road's slow and low pitches, especially when there is lateral movement, remove the essential stroke-making ingredient from one-day cricket. Surrey were able to maintain at least one slip and, aside from Thorpe's expert catching, other nicks did not go to hand.

The one lapse, Stewart dropping Tom Moody in a first over containing five wides, was quickly retrieved with an inside edge to the wicketkeeper. Only Graeme Hick rose above the limitations, but even with 66 to his name, insecurity was evident in a miscue to cover.

Saqlain Mushtaq also achieved some turn, but then David Leatherdale briefly took on Ian Salisbury with three successive fours, and the total nudged above 200 with Richard Illingworth's pulled six in the last over.