A day after Adam Gilchrist’s ball-striking heroics in the World Cup final, pyrotechnics from Alistair Brown, James Benning and Rikki Clarke lit up the Brit Oval as Surrey’s batsmen broke the world record for the highest one-day score.

Their 496 for four eclipsed Sri Lanka’s 443 against the Netherlands in Amstelveen in 2006, as punishment was meted out in equal measure to Gloucestershire’s bowlers, who cracked under extreme pressure.

Brown and Benning’s opening partnership of 294 – a Surrey record for the first wicket – ignited the innings but it was Brown, the senior partner, who lit the touchpaper. He welcomed the debutant, Anthony Ireland, to the Oval by hooking him over deep square then twice launched him straight into the OCS Stand.

Steve Kirby was taken for 12 in his first over and when Alex Gidman, the Gloucestershire captain, gambled by introducing the left-arm spin of Ian Fisher in the twelfth, Brown greeted him with a combination of reverse sweeps and straight drives that saw him plunder 20 from the over.

It was awesome stuff. After England’s inability at the World Cup to make use of the powerplays, here was county cricket’s most consistent power-hitter of the past 15 years reminding everyone of what might have been had he been afforded a proper opportunity at the top level.

Benning, the young apprentice who hopes for a different international fate, was content to take singles and notes, as the master-blaster brought his hundred up off 50 balls with the score on 133. Brown was eventually bowled trying to reverse sweep Marcus North’s off spin for 176 from 97 balls, with 20 fours and eight sixes. The Surrey faithful stood to a man to applaud a wonderful innings.

Benning, who first appeared on the radar in this fixture last year when he scored 189 not out in a losing cause, took up the reins. Having taken 65 balls to bring up his fifty – a snail’s pace compared with Brown – he put his foot down to complete his hundred off 102 and his 150 off 134 balls. He was caught on the long-off fence attempting to add to his tally of four sixes with the score on 365.

Watching from the dressing-room, an adrenalin-fuelled middle order sensed the world record was within reach. Clarke used his long levers to plant Mark Hardinges over long-on for consecutive sixes to bring up the 400 in the 45th over as the visiting team capitulated.

They overtook their previous best of 438 against Glamorgan and went past the magic 443 when Jonathan Batty smashed Ashley Noffke through extra cover to send the crowd delirious. Clarke finished unbeaten on 82 off only 28 balls. If he had not lost the strike for the last few balls, Surrey would surely have passed 500. In all there were 22 sixes and 47 fours.

In reply, a shell-shocked Gloucestershire were never in contention after Azhar Mahmood trimmed Craig Spearman’s off stump with the score on 53. Mohammad Akram took four wickets as Mark Ramprakash’s full-length diving catch at long-off to seal the win summed up Surrey’s day.

Running amok

Biggest scores in English one-day cricket
496 for four Surrey v Gloucestershire, 2007
438 for five Surrey v Glamorgan, 2002
429 all out Glamorgan v Surrey, 2002
375 for four (40 overs) Surrey v Yorkshire, 1994