Ireland all-rounder Curtis Campher hit a blazing century on his Essex debut to give his team a record victory in their 2025 One-Day Cup match against Surrey on Friday (August 15).
Curtis Campher slams 58-ball century for Essex
Batting first at Chelmsford, Essex were in early trouble, losing their first two wickets for just 27 runs. Despite the early setback, Matt Critchley (58), C.W. James Allison (46), and Luc Benkenstein (83) all chipped in to give the hosts a solid platform of 230-5 with 16.1 overs remaining. Then, a dominant 175-run partnership between No. 6 Curtis Campher and spinner Simon Harmer took centre stage. Campher, having reached his century off 58 balls, went on to score an unbeaten 123 off 68 balls, including 12 fours and six sixes, while Harmer contributed a brisk 47-ball 68.
This was the first time Essex had reached 400 in a List A innings. Their previous highest score was 391-5, also against Surrey at The Oval in the 2008 Friends Provident Cup. Overall, this total is the joint-eighth highest in the One-Day Cup; Nottinghamshire also scored 417-7 against Lancashire in 2019. The record is held by Gloucestershire, who made 454-3 against Somerset in 2023.
Among Surrey’s bowlers, Nathan Barnwell – who had fielded as a substitute during the 2025 Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy – took the most punishment, finishing with figures of 2-112 in 10 overs. These are the fifth-most expensive bowling figures in List A cricket history. The record for the worst remains Bas de Leede’s 2-115 against Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Campher’s whirlwind knock came less than 48 hours after flying in for a three-match stint. This was his highest List A score and the third century of his career. His previous best (120) came for Ireland in an ODI against Scotland in 2023. Last month, Campher also made history by becoming the first player ever to take five wickets in five consecutive balls in men’s professional cricket.
Defending the mammoth total, Campher also contributed with the ball, picking up the wicket of opposition captain Ben Foakes for 11. However, the standout bowler for Essex was 19-year-old Charlie Bennett, who claimed his maiden List A five-wicket haul (5-36). Essex bowled out Surrey for 173 in 37.4 overs, winning the match by 244 runs – the third-largest margin of victory in One-Day Cup history.
Match 35, Essex vs Surrey
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