RELIEVED Surrey Lions overcame a tremendous fightback by Worcestershire Royals to clinch a tense one-wicket win in yesterday's National League Division One match at New Road.

The table-toppers won with 21 balls to spare thanks largely to a century partnership between Alistair Brown and Mark Ramprakash.

Brown led the way with 81 while Ramprakash hit 67 in a 153-run partnership in 22 overs which helped lift skipper Adam Hollioake's men to a victory target of 245.

Pace duo Kabir Ali and Nantie Hayward, however, took three wickets each to make Surrey battle every inch of the way to keep their 100 percent league record intact.

New Road skipper Ben Smith said: "Brown batted superbly well and like he does to so many teams he just takes it away from you. We didn't have a great deal of answers but apart from that I thought our bowling display was good."

Hollioake said: "I think Worcestershire came back into the game very well. We were happy to keep them to the score which they got."

Brown and Ramprakash set about the County attack following the first over departure of Ian Ward.

Man-of-the-match Brown, who hit two sixes and 12 fours off 68 balls, was stumped by Steve Rhodes off former Surrey off-spinner Gareth Batty, who also accounted for Ramprakash after he had notched one six and eight fours off 68 deliveries.

Kabir with 3-43 and Hayward with 3-66, however, kept the 2,500 crowd fully entertained by spearheading their side's fightback which just failed to prevent Surrey's last man James Ormond from striking the winning boundary.

Earlier, Worcestershire, after winning the toss, had made 244-5 due mainly to a century stand between Graeme Hick and Kadeer Ali. They put on 111 in 19 overs to back up an opening partnership worth 85 in 17 overs by Vikram Solanki and Stephen Peters.

Solanki hit one six and five fours in 40, while Peters chalked up six fours in his 48.

Hick made 81, containing nine fours off 67 balls, while Kadeer stroked 52 including five fours off 75 deliveries.