Surrey’s defence of their National League title got off to the worst possible start with a demoralising seven-wicket defeat at the hands of Glamorgan, the team they snatched the trophy off in 2003. The previous nine one-day meetings between the two sides had gone to the team batting first, but when the Lions slumped to 36 for seven inside twelve overs there was little chance of that run being extended.

The only reconstruction taking place at the Brit Oval yesterday, was the one being led by Ian Salisbury, who brigaded Surrey’s tail to the extent that the last three wickets contributed an additional 110 runs. It spared the home side the embarrassment of recording their lowest ever total in limited-overs cricket. But after an indifferent start Glamorgan romped home with exactly half their quota of overs to spare.

After playing himself in Matthew Elliott soon found the extra cover boundary and in partnership with Michael Powell the pair added 124 at more than seven an over to leave Jonathan Batty’s men looking utterly shell-shocked. There were just fifteen boundaries in the Lions’ innings. Glamorgan’s third wicket partnership alone brought the Dragons twenty-four.

Even after the lifting of the fielding restrictions the Aussie left-hander drove the ball sweetly to all parts, but he was to be outdone by his junior partner who hit three successive fours prior to losing his middle stump to Tim Murtagh.

Elliott’s tenth boundary, which was crunched through mid-wicket off the bowling of Hollioake, had brought him his fifty off 66 balls. Two overs later, Powell reached the same landmark with a drive down the ground for four off the former Surrey skipper. It had taken the 27-year-old just 34 deliveries.

Earlier, Brown had fallen in the first over of the day, when he nicked Michael Kasprowicz to the keeper. Five overs later Ramprakash played all around a straight full toss from Andrew Davies. When Newman, lbw to one that nipped back, and Benning, swishing outside the off stump, went soon afterwards the die was cast.

Four down became seven down when Hollioake, driving, was caught behind, Batty was taken at second slip and Azhar Mahmood bottom-handed an easy catch to mid-on in consecutive overs. That gave Davies figures of four for 12 in 18 deliveries, which would have been even more impressive had he not bowled four wides in that time.

Salisbury’s first one-day fifty arrived in 82 deliveries, either side of which Saqlain Mushtaq was out to Robert Croft’s first ball, Ormond was well caught at slip and Murtagh lost his middle stump to Adrian Dale.

After the match Salisbury said: “I was pleased with my first fifty in one-day cricket, but I needed to score a hundred and fifty to be honest. Whenever you achieve a personal landmark you like to win the game as well. So, in that respect it was very disappointing. We’ve just got to toughen up. We’re working really hard. It’s an unusual position for us to be in. We’ve been successful for a while and it’s a test of character to see how we come out of it.”

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