Date-stamped : 31 May96 - 10:16 Benson and Hedges Cup 1996 - Quarter Finals Surrey v Yorkshire The Oval 28 May 1996 ====> REPORT Surrey All-Stars Surrender To Dominant Byas By Charles Randall at the Oval Yorkshire (230-1) bt Surrey (229) by 9 wkts YORKSHIRE won this Benson and Hedges Cup quarter-final so easily yesterday it was difficult to credit that Surrey were con- fronting them with the batting backbone of England`s successful one-day team. Surrey looked as though they were attempting to win the match on paper, batting as though in a daze and leaving serious run- making to the next man . . . who left it to the next man, and so on. A resounding captain`s 116 not out by David Byas off 103 balls sent Yorkshire surging into only their second semi-final since winning the cup in 1987. They had almost 13 overs in hand, which reflected all too accurately Surrey`s unforgivable squandering. Byas batted with such command it was surprising this was his highest one-day score in a 10-year career with Yorkshire, and he now has a good chance of leading his county all the way to Lord`s. Yorkshire have had the depth and ability to worry any side for a couple of seasons and, at last, they seem to have acquired the character and confidence to reward their patient supporters. A home semi-final draw would attract White Rose folk in their thousands to Leeds on June 11 - possibly close to a full house - in the knowledge they have a team worth following. Surrey, chock full of batting talent, produced the sort perfor- mance that makes captains and coaches ill with disappoint- ment. They will have to take their frustration out on Devon Malcolm and Derbyshire in the championship at the Oval tomorrow. Surrey`s score yesterday was perhaps 30 or 40 short of a competi- tive total. It seemed like that before Byas arrived at the crease, and it proved a huge underestimation when he formed a partnership with Michael Bevan. The two left-handers slaughtered the bowling with driving and pulling that bordered on the arrogant. Byas took 39 balls for his fifty and 85 for his hundred with only one blemish, an early dropped catch. There were no obvious excuses for Surrey on offer, as Yorkshire`s seam bowlers were not given assistance by this Oval pitch in the way India had been allowed in last week`s one- day international, though the bat was occasionally beaten. Peter Hartley made Yorkshire`s most telling contribution with the ball, conceding only five runs in his five-over second spell at a time when Surrey`s middle order were rummaging in their fireworks box. Alistair Brown, fresh from his maiden England hundred at Old Trafford, made 40 off 40 balls - not enough - Alec Stewart chopped on early and Graham Thorpe was guilty of a loose drive at a time when runs were quite cheap. Chris Lewis marshalled Surrey`s late hitting well without the necessary wickets in hand, and it was not surprising Stewart held an on-field pow-wow with his fielders before they set out to defend an inadequate total. Stewart`s worst fears were quickly realised as Byas and Michael Vaughan wasted no time `Browning` the Surrey seam bowling, throwing the bat at anything within reach. When Byas had reached 15, Darren Bicknell failed to hold a hook at long leg off his brother Martin; Byas owed his personal glory to that incident, but the result hardly hinged on it. After Vaughan`s departure to a neat gully catch, Byas piled on 136 with Bevan in 23 runaway-train overs, and there was noth- ing Surrey could do about it. The end came when Bevan hoisted an awkward catch into the deep, with two needed to win. David Ward failed to hold the ball, but it did not matter. Yorkshire ran the runs and the for- lorn finish summed up Surrey`s sad day. It will take more than knocking down changing room walls to pick Surrey up after this. Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http.//www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by Shash (shs2@*.cwru.edu)