ESSEX V SURREY - Specsavers County
Championship - 26 May 2017
Surrey 334-7. Essex.
Kumar Sangakkara gave another batting master-class
as he rattled off a Surrey record fifth consecutive Specsavers
County Championship century in the top-of-the-Division One match at
Chelmsford. In the process of adding 177 not out to the recent
sequence of 136,105, 114 and 120, the veteran Sri Lankan went past
1,000 runs in English cricket before the end of May across the
Championship and Royal London Cup. He also took his red-ball average
this summer to a Bradmanesque 109.86.
Only once did Sangakkara, who batted in a sweater
despite the sweltering heat, look in the least discomforted and that
in hitting the four with which he reached his fifty. He chopped the
delivery from Neil Wagner over the slips where Alastair Cook got
both hands to the ball, but it was no more than a valedictory wave
as it raced to the boundary.
Sangakkara, who retires at the end of the season,
put on 191 in 57 overs with Sam Curran to post a sixth-wicket record
for Surrey against Essex. More importantly, in the context of the
match, it rescued Surrey from the depths of 31 for five. Curran, who
is not 19 until next Saturday, departed soon after tea for 90, but
not before he had cleared the ropes on two occasions in an innings
that showed great maturity.
Sangakkara had arrived in the middle with Surrey
reduced to nine for two in the fourth over. By the close he had
batted for 276 balls and revised his highest Championship total for
Surrey. Essex’s opening bowlers were almost unplayable in the
first hour. Matt Quinn picked up three wickets in 13 balls before
Jamie Porter joined the party with two as Surrey lost half their
side by the 11th over. And that after stand-in captain Rory Burns
had decided to bat in what eventually turned out to be ideal
conditions. Quinn struck with his third ball of the day, Mark
Stoneman getting the thickest of thick edges to give Simon Harmer
the catch at second slip.
Burns became Quinn’s 100th first-class victim
when Dan Lawrence took a flying catch above his head in the gulley.
Number 101 duly arrived in the next over as Scott Borthwick gave a
routine edge to wicketkeeper James Foster, at which point Quinn had
three for 12. Porter was soon in on the act, his sheer pace arrowing
through Dom Sibley’s defences.Porter’s second was not long in
arriving, Ben Foakes dragging the ball on to his stumps. Then
Sangakkara, took over centre stage and changed the game completely.
He showed great patience at the start and then cut loose.
The Sri Lankan welcomed back Porter for his second
spell by swivelling in the crease and turning the ball firmly
through midwicket. He later drove Wagner’s first ball after lunch
straight for four before striking Porter through the covers to bring
up the fifty partnership inside 20 overs. Sangakkara’s eighth four
brought up his own fifty from 84 balls, and he followed that by
hammering Porter through mid-off for another boundary. When Harmer
dropped one short he almost had his hand taken off as he tried to
stop a lofted drive that also went for four. The pair brought up the
century stand in 32 overs, of which Curran contributed just 29.
The landmark passed, Curran went into overdrive
and deposited Ravi Bopara over midwicket for six amid a rampage
during which Bopara’s four-over spell went for 33. Curran reached
his two-paced fifty from 103 balls before lifting Harmer over long
leg for a second maximum. Sangakkara’s sixth century of the season
in all competitions duly arrived when he drove Wagner straight past
the bowler for his 13th boundary. At that stage he had batted for
174 balls.
The partnership was finally broken shortly after
tea when Curran’s eyes lit up as he bounced down the wicket,
missed the ball from Harmer and turned to see Foster whipping off
the bails. Curran departed six shy of his career-best, having hit 12
fours and two sixes from 164 balls. The elder Curran, Tom, followed
soon after, caught at cover by Nick Browne off Bopara for 86 runs
less than his brother. But the hard-hitting Stuart Meaker arrived to
take the shine off the new-ball and help Sangakkara put on an
unbroken stand of 95. A scampered single off Quinn took Sangakkara
to a 247-ball 150 with 19 fours. The statistics just kept coming.
Sam Curran, who shared a record 191 stand with
Kumar Sangakkara, said of Surrey’s early collapse: “It was one
of those days where you nick balls where on another day you play and
miss. Sanga just came up to me and said we’ve got to dig in and
take 20 minutes at a time. “I didn’t expect I’d be in that
early especially after winning the toss. But fair play to the Essex
guys, they looked to bowl at the top of the stumps and made a good
pitch look like a bowler’s pitch. “It was one of those wickets
that if you dig in can become quite flat. Fair play to Ports and
Quinn, but hopefully tomorrow our bowlers can do the same. “But
again Sanga saved us. It’s only about my third or fourth time
batting with him n four-day cricket. He will be missed when he goes.
It was incredible batting with him. To be 31 for five and then 334
for seven at the end, we would have taken that at 11.30. “But that
is the best time to score runs: when the team needs you.” Curran
departed on 90 going for a third six and admitted: “It was a shame
to miss out on a ton, but the main thing is we finished a good day.
It is one of those where earlier in the innings I went down the
track and hit him for six, but this time it didn’t come off.”
Essex’s Matt Quinn struck with three early
wickets, but said: “It was a strange day. Having them 31 for five,
things felt really good. The overhead conditions with the sun
definitely played their part, but as the ball got softer it got
easier to bat. But you can’t take anything away from Kumar, he is
a fantastic batsman. “We know the first hour here, regardless of
the wicket, it always seems to do a little bit. That is what I’m
told by the senior players, and so far it seems to be true. Full
credit to Sanga, he batted fantastically well. 334 for seven makes
it a 50-50 game going into Day Two.” When he accounted for Rory
Burns, it was Quinn’s 100th first-class wicket. He said: “It was
lovely to get the milestone and get it knocked off.”
TEA REPORT
Kumar Sangakkara rattled off his record fifth
Specsavers County Championship century in a row to rescue Surrey
from the depths of 31 for five in the top-of-the-table match at
Chelmsford. In the process of going to tea on 108 not out,
Sangakkara went past 1,000 runs in English cricket this summer in
both the Championship and Royal London Cup. He did, however, survive
a chance to Alastair Cook when reaching his fifty. With Sam Curran
(82 not out), he had put on an unbroken 179 for the sixth wicket in
53 overs to wipe away memories of the carnage in the first hour when
Matt Quinn and Jamie Porter shared the five wickets to fall.
Sangakkara had been watchful before lunch, but cut loose afterwards.
He drove Neil Wagner’s first ball after lunch straight for four
before striking Porter through the covers to bring up the fifty
partnership with Curran inside 20 overs. Sangakkara’s eighth four
brought up his own fifty from 84 balls, but it had an element of
fortune about it. Cook, in the slips, got both hands to the ball
from Wagner, but could not prevent it racing away. Soon after Simon
Harmer dropped one short and almost had his hand taken off as he
tried to stop a lofted drive that went for four. The pair brought up
the century stand in 32 overs, of which Curran contributed just 29.
The landmark passed, Curran went into overdrive and deposited Ravi
Bopara over midwicket for six amid a flurry during which Bopara’s
four overs went for 33. Curran reached his two-paced fifty from 103
balls before lifting Harmer over long leg for a second maximum.
Sangakkara’s latest century – a Surrey record for consecutive
three-figure scores – came up shortly before tea when he drove
Wagner straight past the bowler for his 13th boundary. He had batted
for 174 balls.
LUNCH REPORT
Matt Quinn took three wickets in 13 balls to blast
a huge hole in Surrey’s top order in the top of the Specsavers
County Championship match at Chelmsford. The New Zealand-born seamer
took wickets in each of his first three overs to reduce Surrey to 16
for three after they won the toss and opted to bat. Jamie Porter
weighed in with two quick wickets and Surrey had lost half the side
for 31. By lunch, Kumar Sangakkara and Sam Curran had restored some
order with a dogged sixth-wicket stand to take Surrey to 67 for
five. Quinn struck with his third ball of the day, Mark Stoneman
getting the thickest of thick edges to give Simon Harmer the catch
at second slip. This after the first ball of the overs had been
despatched to the boundary. Rory Burns, deputising as captain in the
absence of Gareth Batty, who has a toe injury, had gone for a
contested toss. He was Quinn’s second wicket, Dan Lawrence taking
a flying catch above his head in the gulley. It was Quinn’s 100th
first-class wicket. Number 101 duly arrived in the next over as
Scott Borthwick gave a routine edge to wicketkeeper James Foster,
playing his first Championship match of the season. At that point
Quinn had three for 12. Jamie Porter was soon in on the act, his
sheer pace arrowing through Dom Sibley’s defences. Porter’s
second was not long in arriving, Ben Foakes dragging the ball on to
his stumps. Sangakkara welcomed back Porter for his second spell by
swivelling in the crease and turning the ball through midwicket for
only his fourth boundary in 80 minutes’ batting.
GO TO:
BACK TO:
|