Niall O'Brien's explosive unbeaten 81 helped Northamptonshire make short work of Surrey's meagre total of 134 in an eight-wicket NatWest Pro40 victory at Wantage Road.

The Irish wicketkeeper’s innings spanned just 46 balls and included 12 fours and three sixes as the Steelbacks raced home in just 15.3 overs.

The stage had been set for O'Brien's fireworks by the Northants bowlers with only three Surrey batsmen making double figures.

David Lucas finished with 3-43 while Johan van der Wath, Monty Panesar and Nicky Boje claimed two wickets apiece.

Surrey were bowled out with 4.4 overs unused, having failed to recover from slumping to 46 for five.

Lucas bowled Michael Brown to set the wheels in motion, and things got worse for Surrey when Stewart Walters fell in similar fashion in the next over to van der Wath.

Usman Afzaal, who hit 204 earlier this season when the two sides met in the LV= County Championship, made only nine before he was trapped lbw by Lucas.

Van der Wath took a good low catch off his own delivery to dismiss Gary Wilson, and Lucas pinned Chris Schofield leg before to leave Surrey fighting to salvage their innings.

Rangana Herath and Matthew Spriegel shared a lively partnership of 58 before Spriegel was bowled for 18 attempting to reverse-sweep Panesar.

Michael Brown departs in the fourth over of the Surrey innings, sparking a hasty collapse that saw them slip to 46 for five

Herath, Surrey's top-scorer with 39, edged to O'Brien to become Boje's first victim, Jade Dernbach ran himself out, Tom Jewell was bowled by Boje and Pedro Collins was stumped by O'Brien to cap a miserable effort with the bat.

Defending such a modest target, the Brown Caps needed quick wickets to have any chance and Jade Dernbach provided one in the fifth over when Stephen Peters was caught behind by Wilson.

This briefly raised Surrey's hopes, but Northants were halfway to their target by the end of the ninth over.

O'Brien reached his half-century off just 33 balls to take the game away from Surrey, and, although Andrew Hall was stumped for 21, Riki Wessels accompanied him over the line.