Surrey jazz up Sundays

Surrey are planning to revolutionise the way they present the Sunday League next season. The reigning champions aim to emulate the hoopla currently on show for the one-day series between England and New Zealand, including loud music, a change of name and a possible floodlit midweek match.

Paul Sheldon, their chief executive, said: "We have spent the winter researching and planning means of attracting a wider audience to 40-over cricket.

"The Surrey team is highly marketable and our new initiatives will give young supporters an easy means of identifying with their heroes, as well as providing cricket with the spectators of the future."

They will be known as the Surrey Lions for Sunday League games, copying a trend popular in Australia for both the Sheffield Shield and the one- day Mercantile Mutual Cup where states are given nicknames.

Surrey also hope to stage an evening match under floodlights, the first in this country between two first-class counties, which has been pencilled in for 26 June, when Surrey plan to bring forward their Sunday League match against Nottinghamshire.

England's match in Christchurch on Thursday was a day-night game, watched by 25,000, most of whom were in party mood and evidently enjoying rock music blared out at the end of every over and at the fall of each wicket.