SURREY’S inexperience at chasing in Twenty20 cricket this season was all too evident as they crashed to defeat against Nottinghamshire in the day’s second semi-final. Set a target of 177 that ought to have been within the range of a powerful batting line-up, they lost four wickets in their first four overs and the contest was as good as over.

Surrey were many people’s favourites to claim a second Twenty20 Cup in four years but gave a curiously faltering performance that suggests their all-conquering form in the second division of the county championship may hide their true worth.

James Benning and Rikki Clarke were bowled playing across the line, totemic hitter Alistair Brown tamely holed out at deep mid on and Mark Butcher and Mark Ramprakash (already dropped twice) were run out as panic spread through the ranks. Surrey had batted first eight times out of nine in Twenty20 cricket this season before yesterday, only against lowly Middlesex did they field and then chase down a target.

Clarke’s failure with bat and ball (he was entrusted with only two overs) was a personal disappointment for a man who is striving to regain his England one-day place. With Andrew Flintoff sidelined, he ought to be making a case for himself now. But rather like his team, it was a day of sorry under-achievement. But for a breezy half-century from Jonathan Batty, Surrey’s defeat (at 37 runs decisive enough) would have been absolutely crushing.

Surrey’s one bright spot was Nayan Doshi claiming his 21st wicket of the season to break the Twenty20 record held by former Surrey teammate Adam Hollioake.

Essex, set 174 to beat Leicestershire, fared little better in the first semi-final. Captain Ronnie Irani fell for a duck in the third over and they never went more than three overs without losing a wicket. Mark Pettini, who top-scored with 57 from 32 balls, might have been out much earlier but he was dropped on the point boundary in the seventh over of the innings.

If Clarke under-performed for Surrey, so did Darren Gough for Essex. He went wicketless in a pair of two-over spells at the top and tail of the innings and failed to come off in his pinch-hitting role.

Irani said afterwards that he had faced an awkward selection dilemma over whether to remain faithful to the players who had helped them top their group or find a spot for Alastair Cook, whom the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had announced earlier in the week would be available to play, though Cook is not actually contracted to his country, only his county.

Irani sought the advice of Keith Fletcher and Graham Gooch before the verdict came down narrowly in favour of Cook, at the expense of Will Jefferson, but the move did not work out. Cook scored just nine from 16 balls.

“I was put under a lot of pressure this week from the ECB announcing Alastair Cook was available,” Irani said. “They don’t announce much when he isn’t available. I’ve had a sick two days to be honest. I’ve left out a couple of players who have been exceptional for us. They (the ECB) made a big thing of it.”

But Irani accepted that, in the final analysis, the final XI was his choice.