AZHAR MAHMOOD revels in hopeless situations. The man who marked his Test debut by sharing in a world record last-wicket stand came out to bat in the eleventh over yesterday with Surrey 37 for five. By hitting his highest one-day score, then taking four for 17 in Glamorgan’s reply, the all-rounder was an obvious man of the match.

Expect Mahmood to become the face of diet campaigns across Rawalpindi if he gains a recall to the Pakistan one-day side. He arrived at Surrey this season looking tubby but, shamed by coming last in pre-season “bleep tests”, has shed the pounds and lost none of his aggression.

David Harrison and Andrew Davies picked off the top of the Surrey innings like a child decapitates buttercups. Ten for three was a grim start and when Rikki Clarke and Alistair Brown also departed, the mood was as bleak as the sky.

The last time these counties met in the C&G Trophy, in 2002, Brown made 268. Yesterday he made 20 before offering no stroke to become Harrison’s fourth victim. He was Surrey’s second highest scorer, behind Mahmood who reached 50 off 62 balls and four balls later swatted Alex Wharf over mid-wicket for the first of four sixes. The final one was the sweetest, a crisply driven stroke that took him to 99. He reached his hundred off 96 balls just before the last wicket fell.

Surrey began defending 200 brightly. Robert Croft and Wharf, the openers, departed to Mahmood, the former trapped on the back foot, the latter falling to a low catch at backward point by Clarke. Eight overs later, the England all-rounder snared another sharp chance off Tim Murtagh to reduce Glamorgan to 53 for six, by which time Mohammad Akram had ripped the heart out of the middle order.

Mark Cosgrove hit James Benning for 19 in one over but when he was caught, fittingly by Benning, off Ian Salisbury for 49, Glamorgan’s hopes disappeared. All that remained was for Mahmood to take the final two wickets in nine balls and end the match 18 overs early.