Surrey captain Gareth Batty inspired his side to victory over Middlesex. Photo credit: Nigel French/EMPICS

Astonishing hitting by Durham’s Phil Mustard put a big dent in Surrey’s chances of retaining their CB 40 League title when they lost by 142 runs at Chester-le-Street today.

After being overtaken by Hampshire at the top of Group B the previous evening, Surrey’s hopes of a quick return to the summit were demolished by Mustard’s 143 off 89 balls.

Durham were on course to beat their record 40-over total of 325, set against the same opponents at the Oval last year, until Mustard was out with the total on 271.

The remaining six overs brought only 27 runs for the loss of five more wickets and Durham finished on 298 for nine.

If Surrey thought they had clawed their way back into the game they quickly shot themselves in the foot as both openers departed carelessly with the score on 10.

Jason Roy revived them with 43 off 24 balls, but the visitors were all out for 156 in 29.1 overs, completing an unhappy week in the north-east following their innings defeat in the LV= County Championship.

Mustard led a charmed life early in his innings. On one he went down the pitch to Matthew Spriegel and edged the ball just out of Steve Davies’ reach and on two he survived a very confident lbw appeal from Jade Dernbach.

The same bowler put down a simple return catch with Mustard on 16 and the left-hander went on to hit seven sixes.

When Durham chose to bat Mark Stoneman initially dominated the strike, cutting, driving and pulling Dernbach for three fours in the fourth over on his way to 50 off 50 balls with seven fours.

The stand was worth 87 when he skied a return catch to Zander de Bruyn, who cleaned up at the end of the innings to finish with five for 46.

Mustard’s first six, over long-on off Gareth Batty, took him to 49 and he reached 50 off 45 balls before accelerating to 100 off 74.

He put on 118 in 14 overs for the second wicket with Ben Stokes, who made 45 before he was stumped off a leg-side wide by Murali Kartik.

Mustard, whose previous one-day best was 139 not out at Northampton last year, hit three sixes on his way from 121 to 142 before he was out in the 34th over, skying a catch to point.

At the start of Surrey’s reply Rory Hamilton-Brown slashed at a short ball from Mitch Claydon and edged to slip then Davies shaped to pull Chris Rushworth and lobbed a catch to mid-on.

Roy and Gary Wilson put on 68 but after Roy hit three successive fours in Mark Wood’s first over the young seamer picked up three wickets.

When Roy went for a big hit and skied a catch to Mustard it effectively signalled the end of Surrey’s challenge.