SURREY'S tilt at the Emirates Pro Arch Trophy sizzled out in the searing heat of Dubai.

Batting collapses were the main feature of the Lions' last two matches in the Twenty20 format tournament. But on a crumbling pitch, all seven games went to the side that won the toss and chose to bat first.

There were some plusses for the Lions, though. Matthew Spriegel impressed with both bat and ball, while new skipper Rory Hamilton-Brown was the stand out batsman.

Things started well when Spriegel followed up his 40 off 34 balls with figures of 2-7 to defeat the eventual winners, the Fly Emirates XI by eight runs in the opening encounter.

But having been skittled out for 88 by the Cape Cobras, the Lions, needing a second victory to qualify for the final, were dismissed for a meagre 67 in reply to Sussex's 101.

Surrey's second team coach, Ian Salisbury said: "Sometimes you can learn more in defeat than you can an easy win. If you're going to lose, best to do it in pre-season."

Chris Jordan (back) and Chris Tremlett (shoulder) were not risked in Dubai, which, with Andre Nel sidelined since the beginning of January, after picking up a hamstring injury playing in South Africa, hardly bodes well for Surrey's chances of putting out their first choice seam attack when the season begins against Derbyshire on April 9.

Mark Ramprakash flew out to Dubai last Saturday to join up with his Lions team-mates and will play in one of Surrey's 40-over friendlies against the Cape Cobras and the UAE as part of his build-up for the so-called 'pink ball game' – the opener to the new season between the champion county, Durham and the MCC beginning on March 29, in which pink balls will be trialled for the first time in a first-class match.