A comfortable victory by six wickets over Northamptonshire broke Surrey’s five-year hoodoo at Guildford.

Half-centuries from Adam Thomas and Ryan Patel ensured the home side’s chase of 255 in 50 overs on Sunday always looked well within their capabilities, making it two wins out of three in the Metro Bank Cup.

It’s a competition which Surrey have used for developing players since the start of the higher profile Hundred in 2021 – they have lost 17 to the franchise-based tournament this year – but the opportunities it has given the likes of 20-year-old Thomas are compensation for some heavy beatings along the way.

Surrey had launched their Metro Bank Cup programme when Lancashire were beaten by seven wickets. Set 281, they won by seven wickets with 14 balls to spare, openers Dom Sibley (65) and Patel (58) putting on 123 before Thomas (82 not out) and Josh Blake’s enterprising 59 not out from 38 balls – which included six boundaries – combined to add an unbroken 126 in 13 overs.

The downside from that trip, though, was South African left-arm speedster Tiaan van Vuuren limping off after six impressive overs with a hamstring strain which has forced his early return home.

Those overstretched bowling resources were all too obvious when Leicestershire inflicted a five-wicket defeat in the first of the Guildford double-bill on Friday. Patel – whose 97 was only ended by pulling a ball to deep mid-wicket – and Thomas (57) shared a second-wicket stand worth 144 to put them in a strong position. But once they were separated the momentum was lost as Josh Davey (three for 46), Ruan de Swardt (four for 49) and Alex Green combined in limiting Surrey to 270 for nine.

That always looked short of requirements, opener Rishi Patel (110) and newcomer Hamza Shaikh (104 not out) secured victory for the Foxes despite Ryan Patel completing a fine all-round match – on a ground where he has enjoyed much personal success – by taking three for 44.

A step up in performance was clearly required for the Northants match and duly came, albeit sparked by a stroke of luck. The visitors were set for a challenging total during a fourth-wicket stand of 97 which was only broken when seamer Benji Floros touched a fierce drive from Nathan McSweeney onto the stumps at his end to run out George Bartlett (62). Floros followed it up by bowling Australian Test batter McSweeney (64) two balls later, his four for 60 supported by Yousef Majid (two for 42) and tight bowling all round in limiting Northants to 254 for eight.

Sibley (33) and Patel (64) once again provided the perfect platform in putting on 91 from just 11.5 overs, Patel particularly harsh on anything loose and punishing Raphael Weatherall as the seamer’s two overs were despatched for 34.

Thomas, who made his maiden county century in the competition last year and went on to make a ton on his County Championship debut in May, relished the ground where he played so much of his early cricket, hitting ten fours in an unbeaten 83 from 84 balls. Skipper Rory Burns (27) and Blake (36) kept him company until the job was done, an ideal end for Surrey in their 50th List A match at the ground going back to 1970.

By Richard Spiller