Thanks to, at times, torrential rain and the efforts of Graham Thorpe, who faced 41 of the 96 deliveries sent down by the Worcestershire attack yesterday, Surrey managed to get a draw out of a match they should have roundly lost. The outcome thus maintains the Oval outfit’s record of not having lost by an innings to Worcestershire since 1966. It does not, however, mask their shortcomings, of which the lack of another experienced fast bowler in their star-studded squad seems to be the most obvious.

Surrey will no doubt point to the fact that Alex Tudor has been unable to bowl since the season’s opener against Oxford UCCE at The Parks. However, they cannot say they have been caught on the hop. The 26-year-old former England Test player managed just six championship appearances last summer because of injury and the word is this could well be his last season at The Oval. Tim Murtagh has been given his chance, but on the evidence of this contest he still has some way to go; and while Ian Salisbury may still be the best leg-spinner in the country he does not seem to prosper in the absence of Saqlain Mushtaq, who may not be fit enough to play again this campaign.

The weather abated long enough for Worcestershire to have sixteen overs at the Surrey tail yesterday. In a tense hour, they nipped out Bicknell and Salisbury, but Graham Thorpe and Jimmy Ormond earned their side a vital draw, which, in the final analysis, could prove to be a vital one.

When play eventually got underway at 5.00pm, Kabir Ali and Matt Mason once again looked as good a new-ball partnership as one is likely to come across on the county circuit. However, in the initial five overs, neither could lure Thorpe or Bicknell into playing a false stroke.

The 50th over of the innings saw the latter give Steve Rhodes a half chance off Kabir, but in the next a loose drive off Mason saw the 35-year-old all-rounder depart for nine. Gathering cloud forced Ben Smith to turn to Gareth Batty’s spin briefly, but when conditions improved Kabir, bowling to five sips, a gully and a short leg, plucked out Ian Salisbury’s off stump.

That left Jimmy Ormond needing to survive six overs and one ball in partnership with the experienced Graham Thorpe, who did his best to protect the former Leicestershire man from the strike. In the 57th over Mason went around the wicket and almost had the England left-hander, on 22, caught low down at second slip by Graeme Hick. Had that chance been taken Surrey’s last pair would have needed to survive 21 deliveries.

In the penultimate over, looking for one or three, Thorpe could only manage a clipped four off his legs, thus leaving Ormond to see things out. In failing light Batty was reintroduced, but could not get the number ten to succumb to the pressure of four close fielders and the wicketkeeper penning him in.

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