Yesterday at Lord's not even the presence of Harbhajan Singh and Matt Nicholson - who, collectively, have taken 42 championship wickets for Surrey at an average less than twenty-five this season - could mask the fact that the Brown Caps' primary weakness is their bowling. A promising debut by the 18-year-old seamer, Chris Jordan, suggests there are brighter days ahead for the Oval outfit. But, after the Dulwich schoolboy accounted for Owais Shah in the nineteenth over of the Crusaders' reply, Surrey simply squandered the initiative; allowing Eoin Morgan and Jamie Dalrymple, Middlesex's fourth wicket pair to share in a 129-run stand that reduced an ask of 140 in 21 overs down to eleven off three.

Earlier, the visitors had won the toss and in spite of a deteriorating pitch had posted what appeared to be a challenging total. A well-paced fifty from Mark Butcher, who played second fiddle to the more adventurous Rikki Clarke and Alistair Brown, was the fulcrum. But even though nearly all of the Surrey batsmen enjoyed starts, none went on to compile a momentous innings.

The Brown Caps lost Scott Newman in the eighth over to a simple catch at mid-on. James Benning cover drove Alan Richardson's second ball for four and, in the fourteenth over, pulled Chaminda Vaas over the considerably longer boundary on the Grandstand side of the ground. But, three overs later, Benning was bowled trying to hit the ball back over the bowler's head.

Butcher and Clarke shared in a 53-run stand in eight overs for the third wicket. Clarke showed a distinct liking for Dalrymple's off-spin. Having swept the 26-year-old all-rounder for a six in the 21st over, he hit him for two further leg-side fours in his next.

Clarke was bowled by Richardson, but Butcher pressed on, driving Richardson for two fours in the 27th over and going to his half-century in the next; just before edging Ed Joyce behind. Four overs later, Brown was also on his way back to the pavilion after playing one too many improvised strokes.

Jonathan Batty and Chris Schofield took the Brown Caps past the 200-mark in the 35th over, but in the 38th and 39th Batty was caught at long-off, Schofield, skying a slog sweep, was caught and bowled, and Jordan perished trying to work Vaas to leg. A late flurry from Nicholson, whose unbeaten 21 came off just nine balls, appeared to put the game beyond Middlesex's reach. However, it was not to be.

Mohammad Akram had Ed Smith driving to gully. Shah got off the mark by despatching the former Pakistan international through extra cover for four, which he followed up by hitting the last ball of the sixth over straight back past Akram. But when Joyce departed in the next over, bowled in an attempt to hoick Nicholson to leg, the Crusaders were well behind the rate. That remained true until the introduction of Clarke in the fourteenth over.

The 25-year-old's first over went for eighteen, with Morgan pulling sixes off each of the last two balls. The former Surrey vice-captain was promptly replaced at the Nursery End by Harbhajan Singh and when Shah departed to a well judged catch at deep fine-leg to hand Jordan his first scalp, Middlesex appeared to be facing an uphill battle once more.

But Morgan progressed to a 62-ball half-century and with the field spread to such an extent that the taking of singles posed no risks to the home side, the turnaround was all but complete when Dalrymple brought up his fifty off 46 deliveries in the 33rd over; after which a further 49 runs were needed for victory.

In the next over Morgan played the first of four paddle sweeps from outside off stump. The resulting four brought up the hundred stand for the fourth wicket. The next two also went for four, but in the 37th over the Irishman attempted the stroke once too often and was caught behind off Akram. Morgan deserved a century, if not to be there at the end, but his side were indebted to his lead.

GO TO:

BACK TO: