A RECORD run chase set Derbyshire's first visit to Whitgift School off to a winning start yesterday.

John Sadler dismissively clouted the first ball of the final over beyond the midwicket boundary for six to complete a four-wicket victory over Surrey in the Pro40 League.

The Phantoms' 286-6 was their highest total batting second in the history of this competition, through its various guises, and that was a huge lift to the squad in a form of the game where they have not shone for quite some time.

But make no mistake, they got away with it this time.

Erratic bowling allowed Surrey to mount up a formidable 282-5 after winning the toss and though Derbyshire made an excellent start in their pursuit, none of the batsmen who took them to a good position was able to finish the job.

Openers Chris Rogers and Garry Park put on 78 in less than 11 overs and the second-wicket stand between Park and Greg Smith was even more valuable.

They took the score to 176-1 in the 25th over. The Phantoms could not have wished for a better platform.

But what was needed most of all was for one of those three to stick around, if not right through to the end then at least very close to it, and the fact that all three of them were back in the pavilion with the best part of 10 overs to go did not auger well.

It needed an excellent partnership of 39 in four overs between Sadler and Tom Poynton at the end to haul Derbyshire's hopes out of the sticky stuff and as well as those two played, they should not have been the pair there at the close.

Rogers shot to 49 out of that opening stand but carved a simple catch to backward point just when he was really starting to motor.

However, when Park and Smith were in full flow it was hard to see how Surrey were going to get back in the game.

They took the required rate down to a very manageable seven off the last 15 overs but Park was bowled around his legs sweeping at leg-spinner Chris Schofield for 64 in the 25th over. He had faced 66 balls and hit eight fours and a six.

Smith was going even better, striking three sixes and eight fours in needing only 52 balls to reach 77. There were plenty of short boundaries at the school ground for him to exploit but long off was not one of them and he was caught by Jade Dernbach trying to clear him.

That was 218-4 in the 31st over. With 63 needed in just less than 10 overs, common sense was needed but Dan Redfern skied a full toss to midwicket and Tom Lungley sliced a backward point and the signs were Derbyshire were about to blow it.

Thankfully, Sadler's head was clear and young Poynton proved a capable foil. A misfield gave them a gift boundary in the penultimate over before Poynton cut the last ball of the over to backward point for another four to set Sadler up to provide the grand finale.

Surrey's batsmen were also guilty of giving away good starts, as Chris Schofield, Michael Brown and Usman Afzaal surrendered their wickets with a really big score in sight.

A total of 282-5 needed some getting, however, and Derbyshire did have their work cut out but they need not have made it so hard.