DEPLETED Surrey were grateful for a partnership of 122 between Adam Hollioake (70) and Ian Ward (55) as Old Trafford staged a historic first competitive floodlit AXA League match last night. Surrey were soon in the mire after Hollioake, the captain, mindful of the benefits of natural light, had opted to bat.

Austin trapped Jason Ratcliffe lbw, then removed the dangerous Alistair Brown, caught by Graham Lloyd at deep square leg, after Peter Martin had bowled Nadeem Shahid for a duck. John Holder, the third umpire, three times favoured Surrey on close run-outs but the fourth appeal finally counted after Hollioake had struck two sixes and three fours off 88 balls.

Lancashire, of course, have long been in the vanguard of innovation. Last year's day/night friendly against Yorkshire drew 4,500 spectators but the latest jamboree was more family orientated with a preamble dominated by junior cricket in the Indoor Centre and distractions featuring fireworks, a rodeo bull, face painters, rock music at every interlude and, latterly, lest we forget, a cricket match.

Gareth Moores, the sales and marketing manager, who was instrumental in the club investing upwards of £35,000 in the venture, said: ``We are trying to make the game more visual and involving the crowd by creating colourful atmosphere.''

Certainly it is a formula which lends itself long term to the one-day game, a radical departure from tradition admittedly, and an experiment probably worth pursuing. Despite dismal weather the crowd grew steadily all evening to a ceiling of around 5,000.