Hampshire recorded their first victory of the season, defeating Surrey at the Oval in the Benson & Hedges Cup match, by the narrowest of margins.

Surrey won the toss and put Hampshire in on a greenish looking wicket, and a damp outfield, following heavy rain overnight. The groundstaff had worked hard to prepare this for a prompt start.

With the forecast of showers, Hampshire got off to a good start, with pinch-hitter James Hamblin and Zimbabwean Neil Johnson posting 50 in 7.1 overs before Hamblin, attempting another big hit skied a catch to Butcher, running back from the slips.

Johnson was next to go, edging a lifting ball from Tudor to the slips. As has happened in Hampshire's past two innings, the middle order collapsed and 100-1 soon became 140-6. Robin Smith, who had been short on runs so far this season came to the rescue and with support from Giles White and Shaun Udal took the score to a respectable 243.

Surrey quickly lost skipper Mark Butcher, who edged to Alan Mullally to wicket-keeper Nic Pothas, but Alec Stewart and Mark Ramprakash steadied the innings in a partnership of 70 before the latter became the first of Gold Award winner Udal's four scalps.

Stewart went for 52, but it was Azhar Mahmood, Surrey's temporary overseas player who struck the ball for a 37-ball half century before he was brilliant run out by Will Kendall, who at that time was captaining the side after Robin Smith had left the field, feeling unwell.

Mahmood and Tudor took Surrey from requiring nine an over in the last ten down to a more obtainable 6.5, but with Ian Salisbury joining Tudor, this exciting game fell to the home side needing 9 runs to level the scores, thus winning by losing the least wickets.

The responsibility for the last over fell to young Chris Tremlett but apart from a wide, he contained the hosts to just eight, giving Hampshire victory by a single run.

A feature of the Surrey innings was the Hampshire bowling. Mullally was at his tidy best, Udal bowled with his experienced skill taking a career best Benson & Hedges tally, but the surprise package was ten overs from Will Kendall, who, although conceding 42 runs bowled a steady line when Surrey were attempting to throw the bat.

Couple the bowling with the excellent ground fielding of the Hampshire players, the victory, albeit narrow, was well deserved.

© Hampshire Cricket