During the off-season, Surrey shelled out £750,000 on relaying the outfield at the Oval, in the hope that when the rain stops this summer play can get underway without hindrance. Yesterday proved the hard work was worth it, but the cost to the hosts continued to rise as they ended day two on 18-3; with just one boundary coming in 11.2 overs making every ball look as though it was a survival battle.

When play did finally commence at 4.30pm, it took the Brown Caps just 23 minutes and 5.3 overs to wrap up Gloucestershire's first innings. Jon Lewis clipped the first delivery of the day, which was bowled by Andre Nel, off his legs for four. But when Nel went around the wicket to Vikram Banerjee, the 25-year-old left-hander hung out his bat to be caught at a wide third slip without adding to his overnight score. Steve Kirby then played a half-hearted defensive shot to his fifth ball to be cleaned up by Jade Dernbach - whose figures of 4-79 were his best since taking 6-72 against Somerset at the end of May last year - thus leaving Lewis unbowed on 39.

In reply, Michael Brown opened his and Surrey's account with a hooked four off James Franklin, but, thereafter, it was an entirely different story as Gloucestershire took advantage of the gloomy conditions to wrest back the initiative. The Brown Caps lost three wickets in the space of just 13 deliveries either side of a 13-minute break for poor light.

Laurie Evans got off the mark in championship cricket with a single to cover off Lewis, but in the very next over, the sixth, the 21-year-old lost his middle stump, if not his view of the ball as well, to an inswinging yorker from Franklin. Two overs later Matthew Spriegel, coming in at three in the absence of Mark Ramprakash for this match and the next, was nearly run out by the New Zealander.

Spriegel survived long enough, however, for himself and Brown to be awarded the light by the umpires. Unfortunately, their relief was short-lived. The first ball following the resumption saw Brown lose his off stump to another well pitched up delivery from Franklin and in the next over Lewis, operating from the pavilion end had Spriegel trapped leg-before.

With the weather forecast for day three looking like a carbon copy of day two's conditions, the Brown Caps could find themselves fighting an uphill battle if and when the rain relents; which would not the start to the campaign they and new coach Chris Adams had been hoping for.

GO TO:

BACK TO: