Date-stamped : 28 Aug97 - 03:04
AXA Life League: Surrey make most of floodlit chance

By D J Rutangur at Hove

Surrey (152-5) bt Sussex (151) by 5 wkts

SUSSEX   -   the   team  -  failed to rise to the occasion of the
club`s maiden venture into floodlit cricket. Despite  the  luxury
of  batting  in  daylight,   for  the most part under a blue sky,
they could not muster a challenging score on a  sound  pitch  and
were   inevitably   over- whelmed.  But  for Surrey`s self-indul-
gence when batting, the rout would have been heavier.

Commercially, the experiment of playing the match  in midweek  at
the  Hove   ground   under  lights was a success, notwithstanding
the fact that Sussex are propping up the table.

Perhaps it was the novelty of night cricket that  pulled them in,
but  the   attendance  of about 4,000 was larger than the average
for a Sunday and it might have been bigger if the weather  earli-
er   in   the  day had been  more encouraging. However, the start
was only marginally delayed and caused no more than four overs to
be lost.

Sussex`s  momentum  was  at its highest at the start of their in-
nings, with pinch-hitter Vasbert Drakes and Keith Greenfield edg-
ing  a  four  apiece  and  the  latter  driving two more in Chris
Lewis`s  open- ing over.

A  lofted on-drive brought about Greenfield`s  downfall  and  the
innings  began  to  disintegrate. Rajesh Rao, who made 58 off  99
balls, strove valiantly  to stop the rot. Coming in at  the  fall
of  the  first  wicket,  he stayed until four overs remained and,
top-edging  a  pull, was the first   of   three   wickets   Lewis
seized in his second spell to finish with figures of four for 21.

Surrey never looked likely to let their  victory   chance   slip,
after  making  a  purposeful start, and they eased home with 10.3
overs in hand. Apart from Mark Butcher, who was run out, and Adam
Hol-  lioake  who,   having   made   33  off 21 balls, with three
fours and two sixes, was caught behind glancing, the others  were
all dismissed attempt- ing extravagant strokes.

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/)

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