Date-stamped : 07 Jun97 - 06:16 Surrey labour in field By Geoffrey Dean at the Oval First day of four: Surrey (0-0) trail Essex (347) by 347 runs THE DUEL between Graham Gooch and Alex Tudor made compelling watching in the first hour. Tudor won it when he beat Gooch for pace, but on a slow, flat Oval pitch he was condemned to a day`s hard labour in the field thanks largely to two dropped catches. Surrey`s bowling was a mixed bag. Penetrative before lunch when the ball swung and was hard, it tailed off, particularly in the final session. The two missed chances proved expensive. Darren Robinson was just 37 when Tudor found his edge only for James Knott to put it down. The fifth-wicket stand with Stephen Peters was worth just 17 at the time and was to realise 103 in 27 overs. Tudor, who then dropped Robinson when he was 75 at long leg off Ben Hollioake, finally ended his laudable 60-over vigil with a ball fit for the highest company - lifting and leaving a helpless batsman. It was the first championship catch for Knott, the Surrey wicket- keeper. That reduced Essex to 218 for six, but so well did Robert Rollins and Ashley Cowan identify the right balls to hit from some tired-looking bowling that Essex came within three runs of maximum batting points. Martin Bicknell, absent with a ricked neck, was sorely missed. Tudor was twice pulled, and once on-driven for four by Gooch, but angling one into him from slightly wider of the crease, he exploited minimal feet movement to pin back his off stump. "Good enough for me," said Gooch afterwards. "I`ve seen Alex bowl better than that but it`s the second successive time he`s got me. I was caught behind off him two years ago." Essex`s middle order all fell to good balls, although Paul Grayson would not have been happy with his shot. Chris Lewis found a useful leg-cutter for Stuart Law, who gave Ally Brown a second catch at second slip. Hollioake yorked Ronnie Irani leg stump while Peters, who played several fine shots, was deceived by Ian Salisbury`s googly. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Brown to the rescue By Geoffrey Dean at the Oval Second day of four: Essex (347 & 40-0) lead Surrey (280) by 107 runs IT WAS not a pleasant morning for Dave Gilbert yesterday. His Surrey side were doing their best imitation of his countrymen, bat- ting indifferently against some fine bowling to slip to 103 for six, and Gilbert must have been wondering whether to suggest naughty- boy nets at the Oval or at Edgbaston. The cavalry came to Surrey`s rescue, however, in the form of Al- ly Brown, whose sabre-like blows brought him his first first- class hundred for two years. For those who have rejoiced in his swashbuckling, Corinthian ways, it was a joy to see such a prodigious entertainer bat so well after his loss of form last season. Then, a meagre total of 361 runs at 18 in 14 champi- onship matches led, on his own admission, to an attack of self- doubt. There was no sign of it yesterday in this his second champi- onship appearance of the summer. Skilfully ignoring anything out- side off stump or banged in short for the top edge, his shot se- lection was impressive as he cantered to fifty from 78 balls be- fore break- ing into a gallop, scoring his second fifty at his customary rate of around a-run-a-ball. Chris Lewis and James Knott, as stubborn as his father, gave good support. Brown was 62 when Danny Law struck him a painful blow on the bottom hand, which later swelled up badly. Galvanizing rather than hindering him, Brown launched into the bowling, hitting Peter Such straight for six and then pulling Ronnie Irani for an- other. Irani had al- ready had three fours taken off him in one over by Brown who drove with withering power on the offside. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Promotion pays off for Grayson By Ralph Dellor at the Oval Third day of four: Surrey (280 & 70-2) require 300 runs to beat Essex (347 & 302) WHILE Nasser Hussain was performing heroics for England at Edgbaston, Paul Grayson occupied his No 3 spot in the Essex order to good effect. Hussain`s highest score in the championship this season is 67, but Grayson took advantage of sometimes indifferent Surrey bowling to record his third century for Essex from 139 balls. He included 15 fours in the innings to take his season`s average to a healthy 44.62. He was in early, with Darren Robinson falling in the fifth over of the day. Grayson therefore joined Graham Gooch, who reached 50 for the first time in any competition this season. It was, however, the 344th time he has passed 50 in his career. All the old characteris- tics were there - the familiar, upright stance, the removal of the left glove at any moment of inactiv- ity - even if his dominance of the bowl- ing was not quite as of old. His half-century occupied 117 balls be- fore he edged a fizzing delivery to slip from Ian Salisbury, bowling round the wicket into the rough. Stuart Law`s dismissal at midwicket was remarkable only be- cause the substitute fielder who took the catch was Saqlain Mushtaq, Surrey`s new overseas player. The Pakistani did not ar- rive in time to play in this match, but Surrey did not appear to miss his bowling as six wickets fell for the addition of 53 runs in 15 overs. However, the fall of the eighth wicket brought together Mark Ilott and Ashley Cowan who, as in the first innings, added 51 for the ninth wicket as they matched one another blow for thump- ing blow. In the context of the match, 102 runs from such an unlikely source could prove decisive. Cowan initially bowled well, producing a beauty for Gregor Kennis to be taken at third slip. Thereafter, Darren Bicknell and Jason Ratcliffe managed to avoid some fine deliveries and rattle the boundary boards with those that were more wayward in length or direction, or both, until Bicknell touched Ronnie Irani to be caught behind. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Cowan in the swing By Geoffrey Dean at the Oval Essex (302 & 347) beat Surrey (280 & 222) by 147 runs ASHLEY COWAN`S bowling continues to improve encouragingly. His eight wickets in this match, not to mention a total of 67 very use- ful tail-end runs, were central to Essex`s 147-run victory, wrapped up by 3pm yesterday. Defeat for Surrey, who bad- ly missed their Eng- land four, means that, for all their ex- cellent one-day form, they are still searching for their first championship win of the season. Cowan, 22, now has 20 championship victims this summer at a cheap average of 21. This compares to 37 wickets at 34 in the 13 games he played last year. Graham Gooch says he has been bowling well all season, and certainly in this match he gener- ally maintained a good line just outside off-stump, consistently got the ball to swing out, often late, and also used his height to obtain extra bounce. Yesterday, he had nightwatchman James Knott taken at first slip and Chris Lewis at backward point, driving sloppily. If he keeps up this form, Cowan will be a certainty for the England A tour to Sri Lanka this winter, as should Ben Hol- lioake. His classy 72 from 105 balls was the first time he had passed fifty in what was only his sixth first-class appear- ance. As at Lord`s in his Texaco cameo, he hit beautifully in the V with exceptional cleanness. He sees the ball so early and has so much time that when Cowan bounced him, he pulled him between mid-wicket and mid-on. Hollioake`s robust defiance and Jason Ratcliffe`s diligent 53 were the only items of cheer for Surrey yesterday. Ally Brown`s badly swollen right hand prevented him from batting and will keep him out of today`s Sunday League game, though probably not Tuesday`s Benson and Hedges Cup semi-final. Also injured is Alex Tudor, who has a side strain. He will not be fit for the championship match against Yorkshire on Thursday, although he was going to be rested in any case. For Essex, Mark Ilott could not bowl yesterday owing to a thigh strain. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)