Consistency remains key for captain Batty

SURREY skipper Gareth Batty admits his side need to find some consistency, despite reaching the quarter-finals of the One-Day Cup.

Surrey’s match against Gloucestershire at Bristol on Wednesday was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain, but the same situation in the Hampshire against Sussex clash meant Batty’s troops qualified from the South Group in third place.

That sets up a quarter-final with Yorkshire at Headingley on June 13, with the victors set to take on North Group winners Worcestershire in the last-four on June 17.

And Batty had no complaints about the decision ultimately taken by the umpires on Wednesday.

“It was 100 per cent the right decision (to call the game off), the water’s coming over your shoes out there,” said the veteran spinner.

“The rain hadn’t stopped for most of the day and all night, so there’s nothing you can do, you just move on to the next game.

“We have played some nice cricket in this competition but we’ve been inconsistent and we normally pride ourselves on being consistent.

“The one thing to remember is that we’re playing this competition at a different time of the year, so the overheads, the wickets and everything else are slightly different.

“Overall we’ve adapted to that, which is positive.”

Surrey finish the group stage with four wins, three losses and one no result from their eight games, while a mixed campaign for Gloucestershire sees them end seventh in the South Group standings with three victories to their name.