GUILDFORD (first day of four): Surrey 164-2 v Worcestershire.
Without a four-day game for nearly five weeks, Worcestershire suffered again as only fifty overs were possible on the first day of their Liverpool Victoria Championship match with Surrey.
With the luck Worcestershire are having, it was hardly surprising that captain Vikram Solanki lost the toss, although they gave a good account of themselves restricting Surrey to 162 for two before rain ended the day just after 5pm.
Surrey got off to a reasonable start, with Jonathan Batty and Scott Newman sharing a stand of 81 before the introduction of Gareth Batty saw the first wicket fall. Despite the fact that the club had not played any championship cricket recently, the former England spinner looked like he had never been away, taking two for 27 in 13 overs.
In front of chairman of England selectors David Graveney, however, Kabir Ali opened with an indifferent spell and was soon switched to the opposite end, having bowled three overs.
Jonathan Batty took full advantage of some wayward seam bowling as the Surrey openers quickly rattled up a 50 partnership. Solanki immediately brought Gareth Batty into the attack and after a further 31 runs were added, the spinner snapped up the wicket of Newman for 32. In the 22nd over of the day, the left-hander stepped down the wicket, only to be beaten by the flight and was clean bowled.
Jonathan Batty continued to dominate the bowling and,, together with Mark Ramprakash, carried the score past the 100 before his namesake struck just before lunch. Again, the Surrey batsman, who had scored 43, tried to step down the wicket but managed to get a leading edge which looped up into the air where Doug Bollinger took a superb catch running backwards from extra cover.
Following the first weather interruption in which fifteen overs were lost, Ramprakash brought up the 150 with a brilliant cover drive in the 48th over. In the next over from Kabir Ali, captain Mark Butcher was particularly severe on the left-arm bowler, smashing 14 off the over with successive boundaries.
His first was a delightful pull over square leg and then he produced a superb square drive before the rain came in the next over, ending the day with Ramprakash and Butcher unbeaten on 32 and 37 respectively.
Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes was delighted to get back on the field, "The lads are just pleased to be out there playing cricket," he said. "Actually, it feels a bit like pre-season, which is hardly surprising as we haven't played for nearly five weeks.
"We would have liked to have won the toss on what looks like a very good wicket but I am pleased that the bowlers stuck at it, especially as we haven't been able to practice as much as we would have liked."
Worcestershire are still waiting for instructions from the England and Wales Cricket Board on whether their match with Kent, due to start on Monday, will go ahead.
