da bet vitoria： Surrey were celebrating at Old Trafford today after retaining the countychampionship
Colin Evans13-Sep-2000
Alex Tudor is congratulated after claiming the wicket of Sourav Ganguly which won Surrey the PPP Healthcare County Championship
Photo © AllSport
Surrey were celebrating at Old Trafford today after retaining the countychampionship. But they did not play like champs on the opening day of thefinal match, allowing Lancashire to fight back from 154-7 to reach a total of323.Even coach Keith Medlycott admitted: “It wasn’t one of our bestperformances. There was a lack of basics – and we have excelled in doing thebasics all season.”But it was a mere blemish on another triumphant season for AdamHollioake’s side and, appropriately, it was the Surrey captain who clinchedit, with a brilliant slip catch to dismiss Sourav Ganguly. That earned Surreytheir first bonus point, the only one they needed to retain the title.
Surrey team with the PPP Healthcare Trophy
Photo © John Dawson
As the champagne flowed in the Surrey dressing-room, Medlycott touched onthe factors behind Surrey’s success, saying: “I’ve heard a lot of talk aboutSurrey’s showboats and you tend to get that when you are becoming asuccessful side. It means you are doing something right and people areprobably fearful of you.”We are a quality squad. We can pick from 18 or 20 players and they canall come into first-class cricket and produce match-winning performances.The majority of the side are in their prime and that usually lasts three orfour years.”On the influence of Hollioake, he said: “I can use a boxing term for him.If we get a side down he knows how to knock them out – that makes him afantastic leader.”Saqlain Mushtaq claimed 4-81 from 34 overs on a hard, shiny pitch – thesort on which England might have to face him in Pakistan – but Warren Heggfollowed up his century against Leicester last weekend with another actingcaptain’s innings for Lancashire, hammering an unbeaten 93.Surrey lost a couple of early wickets and Hollioake was hurt by a ballfrom Glen Chapple but he recovered to lead his side to 28-2 before acceptingthe championship pennant and going to the other Old Trafford with histeam-mates to watch Manchester United’s European tie.