By David Clough, Press Association Sport

Geraint Jones was full of gratitude for all those who made his perfect farewell possible after Gloucestershire snatched a memorable victory over Surrey in the Royal London Cup final.

Jones put this tensest of Lord's verdicts "right up there", even with the historic 2005 Ashes series victory which will make him forever famous.

He left the field for the last time, at the age of 39, to rapturous cheers from a travelling support once so used to winning showpiece matches but starved of success for more than a decade.

Jones' next assignment will be as Brentwood School's cricket coach, where the former England wicketkeeper-batsman may be forgiven for holding up lessons with tales of a six-run heist at HQ which defied expectations.

From the moment Gloucestershire captain Michael Klinger went for a third-ball duck - his prolific form such a cornerstone of progress to the final - it seemed his team were on a loser.

But Jones' battling 50 in a total of 220 all out, and the all-round contribution of Jack Taylor, somehow ensured that Surrey - after a hat-trick and career-best six for 35 from Jade Dernbach, and then half-centuries in the chase from Kumar Sangakkara (60) and Rory Burns (56) - came off worst.

Taylor (three for 43) shared five wickets with his fellow spinner Tom Smith and the Londoners lost their last six for 49 - including two to David Payne in the final over - to fall just short.

"I just feel very lucky," said Jones, who was watched by his own army of family and well-wishers.

"To finish this way, very few people get the chance to walk off holding a trophy and look back on a great day."

He revealed he had to dig in for his crucial runs, not just for Gloucestershire's sake but so that his two young sons could see him in action.

"Personally, I couldn't have asked for any more," he said.

"My family was here ... although I had to keep batting because the boys had swimming lessons this morning and then had to get the train up, so I couldn't get out until they showed up.

"To finish this way, with a group that has given such an energy back to my cricket, it's such a pleasurable way to finish.

"Since the knockout stages I've been saying to myself, 'dare to dream and who knows?' It couldn't have worked out better."

He is determined too that his team-mates should be given their due credit.

"I'm very privileged, but also [delighted for] them as well," said Jones.

"They are a young group, such a good group, who enjoy each other's company."

As for the status of the win which capped his 14-year professional career, Jones added: "It's right up there. Any time you win a trophy it's huge.

"It's right up the top, purely for the fact I was able to contribute, and the group of lads have added more than I can put into words because they've made my last few months in cricket so enjoyable."

Surrey's beaten captain Gareth Batty, last out when he was caught on the midwicket boundary going for the big shot which could yet have altered the result, insisted the responsibility for defeat was his.

He refused to let any of the blame rest elsewhere, citing his decision to bowl first as critical after doing the opposite whenever he had previously won the toss this summer.

"I suppose, ultimately, we've lost because I changed the formula, with the toss, thinking the ball would go round," said Batty.

"I take full responsibility for us losing - certainly not the boys in the changing room, the batting group or the bowling group.

"The boys have been magnificent, so I take that on the chin."

If either Sangakkara or Burns had gone on significantly after their century third-wicket stand, it is hard to see how Surrey could have lost.

But Batty added: "It's got to fall somewhere. So there's no way I'm going to expose the boys to criticism. If there's anybody to be nailed, it's got to be me.

"I made the decision and we've lost this game of cricket, having played very, very well in this competition.

"If we're being hypercritical I thought we maybe could have done a little bit better first innings, maybe kept them to 210. But certainly we should probably have chased 220.

"I felt we were in the game the whole time and just lost a couple of crucial periods."