One-Day Cup: Sangakkara stars as Surrey beat Notts to reach final

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Kumar SangakkaraImage source, PA
Image caption,

Kumar Sangakkara, now retired from international cricket, scored his 36th one-day century

Royal London One-Day Cup, Kia Oval

Surrey 300-5 (50 overs): Sangakkara 166, Wilson 48, Foakes 42

Nottinghamshire 296-7 (50 overs): Smith 124, Christian 54, Patel 51

Surrey won by four runs

Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara played one of the finest knocks of his long career at The Oval as Surrey beat Nottinghamshire by four runs to reach their first Lord's final in four years.

The 37-year-old former Test star hit 166 out of Surrey's total of 300-5.

Notts slumped to 16-3 when teenager Sam Curran took two wickets in two balls.

Greg Smith made 124, sharing big stands with Samit Patel (51) and Dan Christian (54) but, in a thrilling finale, Notts fell just short on 296-7.

Sangakkara on song in South London

Kumar Sangakkara's knock was the best in English limited-over cricket this season, the highest since South African Jacques Rudolph's unbeaten 169 for Glamorgan in the One-Day Cup against Sussex at Hove in August 2014.

Sangakkara was three shy of his limited-over career best 169, for Sri Lanka against South Africa in a one-day international at Colombo in July 2013.

Surrey will now play Gloucestershire, conquerors of Yorkshire the previous day, in the One-Day Cup final on Saturday 19 September.

Sangakkara batted almost the whole of the Surrey innings, arriving at the crease in the third over when opener Steven Davies edged to slip, before holing out off the first ball of the the final over almost three hours later.

By then he had hit a six and 13 fours, but despite all his running between the wicket clearly taking its toll he was fresh enough to plunder 62 runs from the final 10 overs as the Surrey innings built to an exciting climax.

Notts were able to pick England's Stuart Broad for the first time in a one-day game since he played in their 87-run win over Glamorgan at Lord's in the 2013 YB40 final.

But, while he was not needed for one-day international duty against Australia this week, Notts opener Alex Hales and captain James Taylor both were, which weakened the visitors' batting.

Image source, Getty Images
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Winter signing Greg Smith had not featured in the Nottinghamshire first team in almost two months

When young Curran removed both Riki Wessels and Brendan Taylor in successive deliveries before Michael Lumb also went cheaply in the fifth over, it looked as if Notts had no chance.

But, on his List 'A' debut for Nottinghamshire, former Leicestershire batsman Smith helped turn the game around, sharing a 92-run stand with Patel before putting on a further 112 with Christian.

But a clever piece of captaincy by Gareth Batty got rid of the big-hitting Australian when he snared him in a three-man offside trap at short third man.

Even then, with Smith in such fine form, Notts were still favourites, but he was cruelly run out by Tom Curran backing up - and the target of 14 from the final over proved too much.

Image source, PA
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Surrey teenager Sam Curran takes his second Notts wicket in as many balls to remove Brendan Taylor

Image source, PA
Image caption,

England's Stuart Broad was making his first List A appearance for Nottinghamshire in almost two years

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