When Mark Butcher made his debut for Surrey sixteen years ago, in a Sunday league match against a Glamorgan side led by his father Alan, the fresh-faced teenager struck an unbeaten 48. It may not have been enough to guide the Oval outfit to victory - they missed out by just three runs. It did, however, suggest that here was a one-day cricketer for the future. That Butcher never represented his country in a one-day international is baffling. For a time, not even Surrey regarded him suited to the shorter form of the game. But his match-winning 72 not out, which took 99 balls and included four sixes, at Cresselly yesterday puts the Brown Caps' skipper top of his county's limited-overs batting averages for the season. More to the point, Surrey's three-wicket victory over the Glamorgan Dragons, in a contest reduced to 39 overs per side, moves them up to first place in the Friends Provident Trophy South Conference.

But the visitors, in particular their captain, enjoyed some moments of good fortune. The hosts lost the services of their Tasmanian fast bowler, Damien Wright, just four balls into the Brown Caps' reply. Butcher was dropped at gully off Alex Wharf on nought and should have been stumped off Dean Cosker when 16. Nevertheless, when Rikki Clarke was caught at cover off a leading edge in the 33rd over, which precipitated the loss of both Scott Newman and Chris Schofield in the next, the visitors still wanted a potentially tricky 20 off five overs with three wickets remaining. But thanks to Butcher they had no need to be concerned. He clubbed a short ball from Michael O'Shea for six and finished the game with another maximum, straight down the ground off Huw Waters.

Earlier in the day, only ten deliveries were possible before the players were sent dashing for cover by a blustery shower that kept them off the field for nearly two hours. When play resumed, Glamorgan soon lost Peng and Wharf to catches behind the wicket, but they then established a foothold due to Jimmy Maher, who took three boundaries off Matt Nicholson's fourth over. Michael Powell departed two overs later, but Maher found a useful ally in skipper David Hemp.

Maher smacked Neil Saker's first ball straight back over the bowler's head. The Dragons' fourth wicket pair added 46 in ten overs before Hemp was caught on the cover boundary. A frenetic partnership, during which both Maher and Ben Wright could have been run out, produced just 36 runs in nine overs. Wright, like O'Shea shortly after him, was caught at deep backward square leg, but Maher endured. The 33-year-old veteran of 26 ODIs despatched Schofield over long-on before taking three boundaries off James Benning's fourth and final over.

Clarke cleaned Maher up for 76 in 34th over, which also saw Surrey's first run out of the season in all cricket, when Damien Wright took on the arm of Schofield. But a useful unbeaten stand of 42 in five overs between Wallace and Cosker carried the home side past 200.

Using the Duckworth-Lewis method, the Brown Caps were set a revised target of 205. They were given early impetus by Benning, who struck 38 off 24 balls including seven fours. But after he followed Alistair Brown and Mark Ramprakash back to the pavilion, the game went into a bit of a lull. It was thirteen overs before the visitors found the boundary again. When Butcher eventually did he cleared it to bring up the fifty stand. The Surrey skipper then flicked Ben Wright to fine leg for four, which left his side needing 84 off fifteen overs.

The 27th over saw Jonathan Batty dance down the wicket and loft O'Shea for six, but then the Surrey stumper was bowled attempting a reverse sweep. He had, however, helped to add 81 in seventeen overs with Butcher, who then combined for a crucial 35 in five with Clarke. For Glamorgan, Wharf finished with figures of 4-45.

GO TO:

BACK TO: