Surrey on the brink of safety

Ian Ward dominated the Glamorgan bowling with an aggressive 63 from just 65 balls when Surrey were finally able to begin their reply to Glamorgan's 258 all out at a rainy and windswept Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.

Play did not start until 3.30 when 40 overs were scheduled but two interruptions for rain reduced that still further before Surrey closed the second day on 140-1 from the 39 overs Glamorgan commendably sent down in exactly two hours' playing time.

Ward and Michael Carberry began confidently against Glamorgan's opening attack of Steve Watkin and Darren Thomas although it was Ward who did most of the scoring and displayed an attractive range of strokes, especially on the offside.

He reached his half-century out of the 68 runs on the board with his ninth bounadry, a classical straight drive off Adrian Dale, from only 48 balls and added two more fours before Watkin got one to move back into him and rattle his stumps.

Mark Butcher and Carberry then took up the cause, Carberry striking boundaries off both Watkin and Robert Croft while Butcher effortlesly drove Dean Cosker through extra cover for four to maintain the tempo.

At the close, Surrey trailed by 118 runs but, more importantly, they were just 60 short of the one point they still need to be mathematically certain of avoiding relegation.