Thousands roll up at Lord's

Last night's 'contest' between Middlesex and Surrey was anything but a classic because the visitors from The Oval showed yet again why they are already masters of 40-over games.

Even so, the event will live in the memory long after people have forgotten that holders Surrey won by 37 runs to maintain their unbeaten record in the competition and put themselves in perfect heart for a home quarter-final on Monday.

Despite the late afternoon rain that briefly threatened to sabotage the first attempt by Lord's to stage a Twenty20 match, all 21,000 people who had bought tickets in advance for no more than a tenner apiece apparently turned up to take their seats.

And they were joined by around 5,000 Middlesex and MCC members to leave the ground if not absolutely jam-packed, then nicely full.

Between them they formed the biggest crowd for a county match - outside of a Lord's final - for more than 50 years. And that alone is worthy of celebration.

No wonder MCC secretary Roger Knight looked a contented man.

Hardly surprising, either, that England Cricket Board officials gleefully talked up another success story for their 'baby', which was born amid a fair amount of scepticism last summer but has already blossomed into a fantastic moneyspinner for the counties.

And, as far as one could tell, there were many more happy faces than miserable ones as spectators started to make their way home.

They had seen eight sixes and 28 fours, watched Surrey's Adam Hollioake and Middlesex's Lance Klusener belt half-centuries and witnessed the world's most famous cricket ground doing its best to 'get with it' in Twenty20 terms.

There was something of the middle-aged dad trying to boogie at his teenaged daughter's party about the whole exercise. But good on him for joining in and maybe next time he'll even take off his jacket.

"I just think there could have been a little bit more going on vocally to gee up the crowd and get them involved," said Middlesex coach John Emburey.

"The bottom line is that we've had a fantastic crowd and we should definitely have another Twenty20 game here next season.

"Unfortunately we didn't make this one close enough for there to be an exciting finish but hopefully everyone will want to come again."

"Before then, though, I think we should all get together for a debrief and see if there's anything else that can be done."

Every boundary was followed by a musical jingle. But the MCC are so worried about not upsetting local residents that they employed a private firm to monitor the noise levels and turned down the volume at one stage.

Last year Lord's missed out on the chance to stage the finals day for Twenty20 because Westminster City Council would not grant the necessary licence to allow the live music wanted by organisers. Nottingham's Trent Bridge cashed in instead and this season Edgbaston will take over as host.

Lord's is keen to bid again. "We'd love to stage the finals day," said MCC secretary Knight. "We were very keen to do it last year but not being able to get the licence for music made that impossible." But it is hard to see the final being held in St John's Wood so long as the format remains almost as much pop concert as cricket.

And perhaps it shouldn't go there. So long as Lord's joins in the fun - in it's own largely traditional way - by hosting a Middlesex Twenty20 match or two then everyone ought to be happy. "It was a great experience,"-said young Surrey batsman James Benning. "For me to play in front of a crowd as big as that at Lord's was something very special.

"I think the atmosphere was brilliant, even though the game wasn't very close at the end."

Even with a Hutton and a Compton in their batting line-up, Middlesex could not threaten a target of

Ben and Nick, the grandsons of Sir Leonard and Denisk, had their moments in the field with a catch apiece during Surrey's innings of 183 for five.

But it was only Klusener who clobbered the visitors' bowling for any length of time.

Yesterday, though, was more about those who watched than those who played.

To a man, woman and child they seemed to ignore the invitation to come along in fancy dress and they seemed to go through the motions of a Mexican wave.

But then that's Lord's for you: different. Even when it comes to Twenty20.