Surrey pulled off a thrilling last-ball Metro Bank One-Day Cup win over Notts Outlaws at the John Fretwell Centre, taking four wickets in the final eight balls of a contest reduced to 40-overs-a-side.

The visitors posted 244 from their 40 overs, with Ben Foakes hitting three sixes in a 64-ball 68 and Cameron Steel two in a 66-ball 67, the pair adding 121 for the fourth wicket.

Lyndon James (71) and Matt Montgomery (62) appeared to have put the Outlaws on course for a third win of the season but Surrey’s spin bowlers had other ideas, Steel claiming three for 41 with his leg breaks and left-armer Dan Moriarty three for 55 in a dramatic finale.

Although play began on time, only nine balls could be bowled before the players were forced off by rain. It was long enough for Brett Hutton to endorse Outlaws captain Haseeb Hameed's decision to bat first as Dom Sibley edged his first ball to second slip.

The hour-and-24-minutes stoppage forced the overs recalibration, after which an assertive Ryan Patel gave a strong lead to skipper Rory Burns by hitting both Toby Pettman and Tom Loten for leg-side sixes in a partnership of 65 off 75 balls that ended when Burns was caught at deep square leg.

Patel followed shortly afterwards, well caught almost on the rope at midwicket by Ben Slater for 40, which left Surrey needing to rebuild.

But Foakes and Steel rattled along along at 6.5 an over for more than 18 overs before the former departed when Liam Patterson-White grabbed a sharp return catch to reward a fine spell.

Pettman (two for 50) picked up his wickets when Ben Geddes and Luke Griffiths, a 17-year-old fast bowler making his senior debut, both holed out in the closing stages, with Steel finally falling to a catch at deep extra cover off Hutton (two for 45).

Chasing a target three runs smaller than Surrey’s total, the Outlaws were 34 for one at the end of an eventful opening powerplay that saw the visitors lose one bowler as Matt Dunn walked off the field two balls into his third over, and almost a fielder after Sibley copped a painful blow on the shin fielding at slip.

Sibley did continue, diving to his left to hold a chance as Ben Martindale edged Conor McKerr, then catching Slater at mid-off.

Notts were 99 for three at the halfway point of their pursuit after Hameed departed as he top-edged left-arm spinner Dan Moriarty to midwicket. 

James went on to his second half-century in this season's competition, reaching the landmark from 43 deliveries.

The all-rounder would reach 71, including seven boundaries, before Griffiths made him his maiden senior wicket.

That left the home side needing 75 from 61 balls, but that was rapidly reduced when Patterson-White joined Montgomery to trim the requirement by 42 in 29 balls before he was caught at midwicket off McKerr.

Montgomery was dismissed leg before to Steel to a ball that kept low, having made an enterprising 62 from 45, and Dane Schadendorf was brilliantly caught at backward point off the same bowler to take the contest into the last over with the Outlaws needing six off the last over.

Six from six became four from four, before Moriarty took three wickets off those final four balls - Hutton holing out to long off, Harrison run out and then Loten stumped.

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