As in all competitions in this early season, the rain has had its say in the first round of the Benson & Hedges matches. Only two-and-a quarter hours play was possible at The Oval where Middlesex put Surrey in to bat and managed to bowl 35 overs under the threat of rain for most of that time.

Ian Ward, who was to remain unbeaten on 71 from 95 balls when the umpires decided to abandon play, got Surrey off to a fairly brisk start along with Mark Butcher. The two left-handers put on 46 before Butcher, attempting to deflect, was held down the leg side by the wicket-keeper. That was in the last of Simon Cook's six overs which cost 26 runs.

Mark Ramprakash, coming to the crease against his old county after playing that brilliant innings of 146 in the opening CricInfo Championship match, went for his strokes straight away. He turned Cook to square leg for four off only the second ball he faced.

When Cook was replaced by Chad Keegan, Ramprakash picked up two more boundaries, a leg glance and then a beautiful drive through extra cover before being beaten, as he played forward defensively, by the off-spin of Paul Weekes who had come on to replace captain Angus Fraser.

Meanwhile, Ward had reached his half-century from 68 balls, hitting five boundaries as he looked for scoring opportunities throughout his innings. He added one boundary, which was the finest stroke of his innings, a stylish square cut off Keegan, shortly before the enforced stoppage which gave the two teams a point each. Surrey had reached 146 for two, with Graham Thorpe 23 not out.

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