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Day 1:Tour Match: Hollioake renews fruitful friendship

Charles Randall at the Oval

First day of four: Surrey 322 v Sri Lanka A

Ben Hollioake would regard the Sri Lankans as just the tonic to ease him out of a rut of mediocre batting form, and the 69 he scored yesterday would warrant a satisfied smack of the lips.

This has not yet been a productive summer for Hollioake - this fifty was only his fourth in 31 innings in all county matches - and there are still no Surrey hundreds for him at the age of 21. His two centuries in first-class cricket came against his good friends, Sri Lanka A, when he was on tour with England A.

The all-rounder snicked an attempted forcing shot, having looked in control for almost 2.5 hours on a slow pitch taking turn from the start, a strip, in other words, which could have been imported rolled-up from Sri Lanka.

Hollioake timed the ball well in awkward circumstances and drove two sixes off the left-arm spin of Ranga Herath before he departed as wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardena's fifth victim out of six wickets to fall.

Alec Stewart's opportunity for some batting began with a succulent off-drive and ended unluckily with a fine-edged glance down the leg side in the last over before lunch.

The tourists started with 10 men and a substitute while Shantha Kalavitigoda, with a damaged passport, was visiting the Danish embassy for a visa in time for next week's continental leg of the tour.

Kalavitigoda's hopes of sheltering from the heat on his return were ended by a forcing shot from Ian Ward which hit the substitute fielder on the shins and forced him to retire injured.

Day 3: Ratcliffe mines the seam

Charles Randall at the Oval

Third day of four: Sri Lanka A (232 & 41-1) need 232 to beat Surrey (322 & 182)

Jason Ratcliffe exploited a rare opportunity to give his seamers an airing by taking six wickets for 48.

He has never taken more than three in a first-class innings and indeed could point to only 13 wickets in his career before this match, which Surrey ought to win today on a very slow pitch.

Ratcliffe produced some good medium-pacers with an upright action, sometimes beating bat or finding an edge. Three wickets came on Saturday before a storm intervened.

Yesterday Adam Hollioake's slip catch gave Carl Greenidge, son of Gordon, the first wicket of his first-class debut.

Jonathan Batty's first fifty of the summer stretched Surrey's lead against the increasingly dominant spin of Ranga Herath and Nimesh Perera.

Day 4: Stewart's spirits are given a lift

Charles Randall at the Oval

Surrey (322 & 182) bt Sri Lanka A (232 & 251) by 21 runs

Alec Stewart achieved little by way of batting practice but at least he had the satisfaction of being on the winning side at the Oval.

Surrey beat Sri Lanka A with 27 overs to spare, allowing Stewart to make the long drive to join the England party in Manchester in an upbeat mood last night. A win is a win at any level, and 'Stewie' took the final catch at mid-on.

The Sri Lankans' lively reply on a deteriorating pitch owed much to Tuwan Dilshan, their own version of Stewart, who rattled up 127 in four hours with some crisp stroke play. He could keep wicket too, if required, as deputy for the excellent Prasanna Jayawardena.

While Dilshan lorded it at the crease, the Sri Lankans had a good chance of reaching 273 but Ben Hollioake knocked out his off-stump with a full-length delivery and dismissed Jayawardena the same way. Hollioake, perhaps the best bowler on view, struck a good rhythm and concentrated on pitching the ball up at the risk of the occasional full toss. Having Russel Arnold caught at slip ended a runaway second-wicket stand.

Adam Hollioake, meanwhile, missed part of the morning session to visit his optician about deterioration of the sight in his right eye. But after posting himself at backward short-leg, he focused delightedly on a catch there off a Gareth Barry off-break.