Bad light marred what should have been another day full of magnificent strokeplay at the AMP Oval yesterday. Instead, the Surrey contingent will have to wait until tomorrow to see what the likes of Ward, Ramprakash, Thorpe, Brown and Hollioake make of a flat pitch and a reduced boundary on the ‘gasholder side’ of the ground.

A total of twenty-four overs were lost in the morning and there was no play at all in the final session, which meant a shortfall, in all, of 54 overs – more than half the normal allocation for a day’s play.

Apart from a pavilion full of members and Thermos flasks, the ground was sparsely populated. A combination of the weather and, no doubt, the football. What was missed by those who stayed away was the chance to see Surrey achieve some respectability in a match that still looks destined to end in stalemate.

Stuart Law and Mal Loye added sixty to the visitors’ overnight total of 391 for two until, like the red buses that drive past the AMP Oval, a long delay was ended by two wickets coming along at the same time.

Once again, Law was the dominant partner. The Aussie made 169 in 344 minutes off 223 balls and struck one six – when Tudor was plopped into the Peter May Stand in the sixth over of the day – plus 24 more boundaries. His third wicket alliance with Loye was ultimately worth 282 in 73 overs. Not quite the record for this fixture of 364 held by Atherton and Fairbrother, but not bad – not bad at all.

The first and last ball of Rikki Clarke’s second over of the day were responsible for prizing the pair from the crease. The former Northants man was the first to go, for 126, when he was trapped leg before by a ball that appeared to keep low. Then, just after leg glancing the 21-year-old for yet another four, Stuart Law committed the cardinal sin of chopping the ball on to his stumps when set.

Nothwithstanding Clarke’s achievement, Ian Salisbury – who finished with four for 116 – was the pick of Surrey’s attack once again. His initial twelve overs went for just 17 runs and included the next two wickets, those of Andy Flintoff and Mark Chilton.

Flintoff, who made a rapid 43, including successive leg-side sixes off the bowling of Rikki Clarke, went tamely; tickling the ball into the keeper’s gloves. Soon afterwards Chilton, who also profited from Clarke, was lbw after aiming a sweep at Salisbury and being struck on the front pad. Alas, his wicket came five overs too late to earn the home side a second bowling point.

By this time Alex Tudor had been re-introduced and in his fourth over back had Chris Schofield dancing around in the crease and edging to the wicketkeeper.

Glen Chapple fell to Salisbury in the very next over, when he checked his stroke and gave the bowler an easy return catch, and Kyle Hogg gave the leg-spinner his fourth scalp when he drove the 33-year-old to Adam Hollioake at mid-on.

Three overs later Lancashire were all out for 599 – their second highest total of all-time against Surrey – when skipper Warren Hegg lost his off stump to Tim Murtagh. The players then went in for tea, never to return.

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