da mrbet： As in all competitions in this early season, the rain has had its say in thefirst round of the Benson & Hedges matches
Andy Jalil01-May-2001As in all competitions in this early season, the rain has had its say in thefirst round of the Benson & Hedges matches. Only two-and-a quarter hoursplay was possible at The Oval where Middlesex put Surrey in to bat andmanaged to bowl 35 overs under the threat of rain for most of that time.Ian Ward, who was to remain unbeaten on 71 from 95 balls when theumpires decided to abandon play, got Surrey off to a fairly brisk start alongwith Mark Butcher. The two left-handers put on 46 before Butcher, attemptingto deflect, was held down the leg side by the wicket-keeper. That was in thelast of Simon Cook’s six overs which cost 26 runs.Mark Ramprakash, coming to the crease against his old county after playing that brilliant innings of 146 in the opening CricInfo Championship match, went for his strokes straight away. He turned Cook to square leg for four off only the second ball he faced.When Cook was replaced by Chad Keegan, Ramprakash picked up two moreboundaries, a leg glance and then a beautiful drive through extra cover before being beaten, as he played forward defensively, by the off-spin of Paul Weekeswho had come on to replace captain Angus Fraser.Meanwhile, Ward had reached his half-century from 68 balls, hittingfive boundaries as he looked for scoring opportunities throughout hisinnings. He added one boundary, which was the finest stroke of his innings, astylish square cut off Keegan, shortly before the enforced stoppage whichgave the two teams a point each. Surrey had reached 146 for two, with GrahamThorpe 23 not out.