Surrey survive stumble to beat Gloucestershire

A tense finish at The Oval saw the Surrey Lions home by two wickets with just two balls remaining. Despite this victory over the Gloucestershire Gladiators, they remain firmly rooted to the bottom of the Norwich Union first division league table.

Having dismissed the visitors for 176, a victory for the Lions seemed just a formality on 174 for five with eighteen balls remaining. But with Jeremy Snape snapping the last three wickets that fell in nine balls without conceding a run, it became a matter of nerves with Surrey just about managing to hold out for a win, only their second in 10 league matches this season.

After losing Michael Carberry for four in the fifth over, Surrey seemed to be going well on 49 for one when Gloucestershire struck twice. Alistair Brown was bowled for 27 by James Averis in the 10th over and Gareth Batty was caught behind with the total 78.

Brown's wicket was important for the visitors as he was striking the ball well. He hit Averis for two sixes, the first was to square leg and the second just behind square in the fourth over before the bowler got his revenge.

But it was the hard-hitting fourth-wicket partnership of 76 from 96 balls between the Hollioake brothers that placed the London side on the victory path.

The hundred came up in the 23rd over with a square drive to the point boundary by Ben Hollioake, off Snape, and after hitting another in his next over, to extra cover, he lifted Mark Alleyne straight for the first of his two sixes.

The second six was driven off Martyn Ball over wide mid-on before he drove a catch to mid-on in the 32nd over. His 42 had come from 53 balls. Two overs later, Surrey lost the senior Hollioake after he had hit his second half-century in the league this season. There were five boundaries in his 75-ball innings and he had taken the Surrey total to 161.

An entertaining century partnership for the fifth wicket between Matt Windows and Snape was the main feature of the Gloucestershire innings which lasted 40.1 overs at after rain had delayed the start of the match by half an hour, reducing four overs from each side.

Having decided to bat first the Gladiators lost their top order quickly with the Surrey Lions claiming a wicket in each of their first three overs. Ed Giddins trapped Dominic Hewson lbw with his fourth ball and Ian Harvey, after driving his first ball to the cover boundary, was held at first slip in the second over off Carl Greenidge.

Giddins then, in his next over, took a return catch from Kim Barnett and the Gladiators were eleven for three. It didn't take long for the next wicket to fall with Mark Alleyne playing-on to Greenidge with the total 48.

Then came the recovery with Windows and Snape taking control for the next hour and-a-quarter during which they put on 109.