Durham 325 for 9 beat Surrey 289 by 36 runs
Scorecard
Durham secured a Clydesdale Bank 40 semi-final trip to face Somerset at Taunton after ending Surrey's unbeaten run in the competition with a 36-run victory at The Oval. The Dynamos racked up 325 for 9, with Paul Collingwood playing the starring role. The former England batsman made 96 off 83 balls before attempting to bring up his hundred with a six and being caught by Rory Hamilton-Brown.
Faced with the prospect of needing to pull off their biggest ever successful chase in 40-over cricket, Surrey refused to go down without a fight. The tide almost turned in the Lions' favour when Matthew Spriegel, who struck a one-day career-best 86 in just 57 deliveries, forged spirited alliances with Tom Maynard (56) and Chris Schofield (46), but they fell short.
Earlier, after winning the toss and electing to bat, Durham made a blistering start thanks to Phil Mustard, who raced to a half-century in just 23 deliveries. Mustard's 66 came from just 31 balls and included 13 fours and a six over backward square leg off Chris Jordan.
Even after Callum Thorp had departed in the eighth over, stumped off a wide from Spriegel, and Mustard was caught at mid-off two overs later, Collingwood and Mark Stoneman (27) moved the score along at nearly eight an over until Stoneman went leg before to Gareth Batty. Collingwood lifted Pragyan Ojha over wide long-on for a maximum in the 19th over and at the halfway stage the visitors were 171 for 3.
Surrey, who were already assured of a home semi-final, used eight bowlers. But it was only when the Lions turned, eventually, to Schofield, who finished with 3 for 67, that the boundaries dried up briefly. Michael Di Venuto lost out to Maynard's arrow in from backward point in the 21st over, when Collingwood attempted to chance a quick single.
But Collingwood and Dale Benkenstein kept the pressure on the home side by combining for 81 in 11 overs. The Dynamos took the batting powerplay at the start of the 31st over. Benkenstein, who was dropped on 19, brought up the 250 by lifting Ojha back over his head for four. But having made 48 off 35 balls, the Durham skipper holed out to deep midwicket.
In the 37th over, Ian Blackwell (25) lifted the total above the 300 mark with a huge six over long-on off Schofield. But despite picking up three late wickets, the damage had already been done as far as Surrey were concerned.
The Lions' response got off to a poor start when Steven Davies departed to a top-edged pull in the first over. Three overs later, Jason Roy was trudging back to the dressing room, having picked out Stoneman at deep midwicket off the bowling of Mitchell Claydon to make it 22 for 2.
Hamilton-Brown (30) was run out trying to steal a second run to third man, and Zander de Bruyn was yorked by Thorp, who also accounted for Maynard. Spriegel, who was dropped on 30 at deep extra cover, brought up his half-century in just 37 deliveries.
Had Schofield not cut Claydon to backward point in the 30th over, to bring the curtain down on a stand of 98 runs in 12 overs for the sixth wicket, it might have been a different story for Surrey, who are rewarded for their top-billing with a home semi-final tie against Sussex.
