Date-stamped : 30 Apr96 - 02:16 Benson & Hedges Cup 1996 Surrey v Hampshire The Oval 28 April 1996 ====> REPORT Stewart leads Surrey to record total By Geoffrey Dean at the Oval Surrey (333-6) beat Hants (274) by 59 runs NOT for years has a Surrey side begun a season with such obvious enthusiasm, and but for an admirable century by Robin Smith, Hampshire would have been completely swept aside after Surrey registered their highest Benson and Hedges total. Smith was dropped when four at first slip off Chris Lewis who, like Alec Stewart, did much to restore a somewhat tarnished reputation. Stewart`s 160 came off just 154 balls. Crucially, he was dropped at midwicket off John Stephenson when 62. It was not a good day for the new Hampshire captain who, having taken the dubious decision to insert on a batsman`s paradise, was badly let down by his bowlers. This was far from the uncertain Stewart of the winter. He got his feet moving and timed the ball as few in the game can. Hampshire did their best to renew his confidence early on with some woefully lose bowling, a lot of it wide and short. After 15 overs Surrey had careered to 118 for one, though much of the credit for that must go to Ally Brown. He charged to his fifty off 28 balls, reminding detractors that English cricket has its own Jayasuriya if ever he was selected for the national side. For one who averages 45 in first-class matches, his exclusion from past A tours is a disgrace. Surrey suffered a mid- innings blip thanks largely to a fine 10-over spell of off-spin from Paul Whitaker, who took two for 33. At 188 for five in the 32nd over, a total of 300-plus looked remote. But Mark Butcher played with the utmost good sense for his 42 not out off 46 balls, while Stewart, having reached his 100 off 123 balls, then hurtled on to 150 off just 23 more. This assured him of the Gold Award. Having drilled Martin Thursfield over long off into the pavil- lion, Stewart hit two sixes in one Stephenson over and then played the shot of the match when he drove Winston Benjamin off the back foot over extra cover for another six, a massive blow that carried 100 metres. Hampshire failed to make the flier they needed thanks largely to Lewis`s excellent opening spell of 6-1-19-0, good figures espe- cially given a short boundary on one side. Lewis bowled with pace and control, though it was Martin Bicknell who took two important early wickets with deliveries that came back. Feeling intolerable pressure, the Hampshire middle order buckled. At 105 for six in the 22nd over an early finish appeared certain before Smith, ably supported by Adrian Aymes, batted with laudable selectivity to reach 123 off 114 balls. Lewis came back to break the stand and, given his brilliant catch to dismiss Benjamin, it was a pleasing debut. Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http.//www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by Shash (shs2*.cwru.edu)