Brown benefits as records fall

Brian Scovell13 April 2012

Alistair Brown could become Surrey's record beneficiary after his world-record 268 against Glamorgan in an astonishing C&G game at The Oval.

The man known as "Lordy" beat Graeme Pollock's old record of 222, scored for Eastern Province 27 years ago, in a 50-over game that produced 867 runs, another world record.

Alec Stewart holds the current Surrey benefit record of £260,000, but the popular Brown has made a great start to his fundraising.

He never quite made the top grade at international level after 16 appearances for England in one-day internationals, averaging 22.12, yet still retains the affection of cricket lovers throughout the land.

Former prime minister John Major, last year's Surrey President, said of him: "He is one of the great entertainers of modern cricket. He loves the game and it shows. He plays for fun and he hits the ball as hard as anyone has ever done.

"Whenever he walks to the wicket there is an expectant hush among spectators for each of them knows the possibility of some memorable batting."

Brown went to Cumnor School, the Surrey school where second- team coach Alan Butcher coached him and his son Mark. And he played for Caterham School where he made double hundreds.

His 203 against Hampshire in a Sunday League game is a record for the competition and his highest first-class score was his unbeaten 295 against Leicestershire at Oakham two years ago.

He is a gambling aficionado and wins most of the card games among the players - and he's a gambler on the field, taking chances to go for big hits.

Most of his 12 sixes in the nine-run victory over Glamorgan came over the 60-yard legside boundary but the majority of his 30 fours came through extra cover, exquisite shots with tremendous power. Stand-in skipper Robert Croft had three fielders in that area and couldn't stop them. Brown said: "I've been in very good form lately, probably the best form of my life. I had butterflies in my stomach before going in and that's always a good sign.

"The thing I enjoyed most was those sixes off Darren Thomas when he dropped it short. It was a good knock - 268 more than I got against Scotland."

Meanwhile, beaten captain Andrew Flintoff summed up Essex's nine-wicket victory over his Lancashire side at Chelmsford by saying: "It was like men against boys."

Four wickets from Ashley Cowan helped to dismiss the visitors for just 166 and then Nasser Hussain blazed away merrily to an unbeaten 83 as Essex romped to their 10th oneday victory in 11 matches with nearly 22 overs to spare.

Essex's next mission in the C&G Trophy is a home quarterfinal against Yorkshire - the team they beat by seven wickets at the same stage of the Benson & Hedges Cup.

C&G DRAW: Kent v Glocs; Essex v Yorks; Sussex v Surrey; Somerset v Worcs. Matches to be played 16 or 17 July.

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