Surrey 261 for 8 (Patel 117) beat Essex 259 for 9 (Webster 69, Thain 63, McKerr 4-55, Virdi 3-38) by two wickets

However, Patel's 117 off 119 balls was not sufficient to assist Surrey end any greater than one place above Essex after a disappointing marketing campaign for each counties.

Patel shared partnerships of 62 with late call-up Krish Patel, 60 with Josh Blake and 51 with Conor McKerr as Surrey chased down 260 to win with a boundary off the final ball. McKerr additionally claimed career-best List A figures of 4 for 55 in Essex's 259 for 9.

There was drama earlier than play began when captain Rory Burns twisted an ankle within the warm-up and at 10.28am Surrey needed to register 17-year-old leg-spin all-rounder Krish Patel.

Essex tails have been up after they had Surrey's finest hope of anchoring their response, Dom Sibley, out first ball to a backside edge and having his center stump jagged again. But that they had not factored in Ryan Patel.

Josh Blake joined Patel in a 60-run partnership that took up 10 overs earlier than choosing out the square-leg boundary sweeper to offer Richards a wicket in his first over. Ben Geddes adopted to a catch at mid-on off Aron Nijjar.

The left-handed Patel hit three fours within the first over and reached his fifty from 50 balls with a six over midwicket. But he misplaced Cameron Steel to a working catch at lengthy leg off Webster.

The debutant Patel joined his namesake and had revised the goal to 116 off 20 overs. The lateness of his call-up didn't have an effect on his nerves and even discovered time to deposit Nijjar for six over lengthy off to mark the fifty partnership. He was ultimately out for a 46-ball 30, lbw going again to Nijjar.

The senior Patel reached three figures together with his thirteenth boundary, punched by way of further cowl, from his 102nd supply confronted. McKerr's 20 from 24 balls stored Surrey on target earlier than he was bowled by Webster.

Patel's 45-over innings ended when he drove Allison to Webster at brief further cowl and instantly Surrey wanted 33 from six overs with three wickets in hand, then 15 from 12 balls. They misplaced Ealham to a different Webster catch within the covers off Allison because the goal rose to 13 from eight balls.

A sweep off the primary ball of Beard's last over by Griffiths decreased the determine to 9 off 5 balls, however solely a single from the following two balls heightened the suspense. However, Moriarty nudged one other bourndary adopted by one other to go away three required off the final ball. But Griffith's drive by way of mid-on for 4 from a full-toss determined the result.

Essex misplaced their first three wickets to sloppy pictures contained in the powerplay. Nick Browne, captaining the aspect in his first List A recreation of the season, lofted Amar Virdi straight for six however perished subsequent ball when he chipped tamely to brief mid-on.

Feroze Khushi additionally departed after hitting Dan Moriarty's second ball over the ropes earlier than being stumped off a legside broad. And Luc Benkenstein grew to become the third to fall within the first 10 overs when he chased a large one. Charlie Allison didn't final lengthy both, dragging on towards Steel to go away Essex 4 down and solely 14 overs gone.

However, that was the prelude to a steadying century stand between Webster and Thain that helped Essex out of their nosedive

Thain's second six, pushed straight off Tommy Ealham, introduced up the hundred stand in 21 overs earlier than the pair have been again within the pavilion within the house of 13 balls, each falling to McKerr. Thain pulled to brief midwicket and Webster edged a lifting ball behind.

The returning Virdi grabbed two fast wickets for List A-best figures of three for 38 with Beard enjoying throughout one to be lbw and Will Buttleman bowled off his pads.