Surrey victory deepens Yorkshire's relegation worry

Yorkshire Phoenix now hover perilously around the relegation zone of the First Division Norwich Union League following a seven-wicket loss to The Surrey Lions under the Duckworth/Lewis method.

The Lions produced some entertaining batting in this day-nighter at the AMP Oval after rain during the interval reduced the allocation of overs by 11. After losing the first wicket on 13, with Ian Ward edging behind for six in the sixth over, Mark Butcher and man-the-match Gareth Batty embarked on a free-hitting stand which saw them bring up the hundred partnership from 102 balls.

During the course of it, Batty reached his first half-century for Surrey, taking just 38 balls in doing so and striking nine boundaries. In his adventurous stroke playing innings he was dropped on 60 a few yards inside the mid-wicket boundary, off Darren Lehmann and five runs later he was dropped again, at long on, off Richard Dawson with the total on 124 for one.

Butcher meanwhile reached his 50 off 77 balls and promptly departed to the next ball, which he tried to work to leg and gave a return catch to Dawson. It had been precisely the quick-scoring stand that Surrey needed, the 121 was compiled at the rate of a-run-a-ball taking the total to 134 for two.

Ally Brown did not last long, his 19 coming in as many minutes before being bowled by Darren Gough as he stepped outside his off stump in attempting to loft his shot over square leg.

That was the last Surrey wicket to fall, on 167. Batty remained unbeaten with 83 from only 78 balls as he took his side to a total of 188 for three. Forty of his runs had come from boundaries.

Earlier, having decided to make first use of a pitch on which there is usually an abundance of runs, the Yorkshire Phoenix innings progressed in fits and starts. They reached 40 after just nine overs and then lost three wickets in a space of 33 runs.

Ed Giddins had both opening batsmen caught behind and then Ben Hollioake bowled Anthony McGrath for 15.

A 48-run stand between Lehmann and David Byas seemed to steady the innings when off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq struck twice. He trapped Byas lbw for 22 and then took a return catch from top-scorer Lehmann with 47.

Yorkshire lost two wickets on 160. Following Lehmann's departure, Gary Fellows was run out for 23 from a direct hit at the bowler's end by Ben Hollioake.

Saqlain completed his nine overs taking three for 44 with the wicket of Dawson before a quick-fire eighth wicket stand of 38 from only 23 balls between Richard Blakey, 28, and Gough, 16, saw the Northerners to 214.

They took 18 off the penultimate over which included a straight six, the only one of the innings, hit high into the third tier of the pavilion by Gough. It brought up the two hundred of the innings.