SOMERSET
V SURREY at Taunton (SSCC1), 18-21 SEPTEMBER 2018
Second plays host to the
newly-crowned County Champions. Surrey
have now won the County Championship twenty times, 19 of them
outright. Mind you, they are some way off Yorkshire's record of 33
titles. Both have shared the crown on one occasion - Yorkshire in 1949
and Surrey in 1950.
From mid-season Somerset were the
only side threatening to spoil Surrey’s party, but their defeat at the
hands of the Oval outfit at Guildford in June was a key battle lost.
In the last fortnight, the Cidermen have conceded ground at a crucial
time - being held to a tie by Lancashire and losing away to Hampshire
by six wickets. To make matters worse, their talismanic slow-left
armer, Jack Leach, has a suspected broken thumb.
Somerset's batting continues to
be built around the evergreen James Hildreth - who has made 886
championship runs (including three hundreds) at an average of 42.19
this season - and skipper
Tom Abell, whose recent form has mirrored that of
his side. Since the resumption of the County Championship
schedule, the 24-year-old has made scores of
70, 27, 12 and 132 not out in the two games
Somerset have won and, more recently, 14, 7, 3 and 2 in the two
they didn’t get over the line in.
Steven Davies and Marcus
Trescothick have chipped in with the willow, but, to be honest,
Somerset's lower order - the likes of Bess, Gregory and Craig Overton
- have proved more reliable than George Bartlett and Ed Byrom, who
continue to show little more than promise as batsmen.
In terms of the bowling, wickets
have been shared around. Lewis Gregory is currently Somerset's leading
wicket-grabber with 32 victims at 26.78 runs apiece, followed closely
by Josh Davey (24.03) and Overton.C (27.86), both of whom have 30
poles to their name. However, with this game being at Taunton, expect
to see a fair amount of spin. Jack Leach, if he plays, is not only a
handful in his own backyard, but very much in the thoughts of the
England selectors still.
Surrey v
Somerset - First-Class Records Sheet
Somerset's Tom Abell (2,971) is approaching 3,000
first-class runs and team-mate Lewis Gregory (1,932) two thousand.
Gregory also wants just one more wicket for the 200th of his f-c
career. For the season, in first-class, Rikki Clarke has 43 wickets,
Ollie Pope 914 runs; and, of the hosts, James Hildreth, with 886
runs, in bearing down on another four-figure campaign.
Surrey are pretty much as you were. Sam Curran is rested; and while
Gareth Batty, Conor McKerr, Ryan Patel and Jason Roy have all been
named in the 15-man squad, chances are the visitors will stick with
the formula that worked for them at Worcester.
OPPONENT |
DATE |
RESULT |
VENUE |
SURREY |
OPPONENT |
Worcestershire |
10-13 Sep 2018 |
Won By 3 Wickets |
Worcester |
268 & 274-7 |
336 & 203 |
Essex |
4-6 Sep 2018 |
Won By 10 Wickets |
Chelmsford |
351 & 2-0 |
126 & 226 |
Nottinghamshire |
29-31 Aug 2018 |
Won By An Inns & 125 Runs |
The Oval |
375 |
101 & 149 |
Lancashire |
19-22 Aug 2018 |
Won By 6 Runs |
The Oval |
211 & 306 |
247 & 264 |
Nottinghamshire |
22-24 Jul 2018 |
Won By An Inns & 183 Runs |
Trent Bridge |
592 |
210 & 199 |
Surrey's three-wicket win over Worcestershire was their ninth
victory on the trot, something they had not done since 1957.
However, the Oval outfit have only won one County Championship game
at Taunton since 1962. Their solitary success there in the last 56
years was back in 1986. But, not for the first time, my thinking is
dominated by the weather forecast - which doesn't look at all
promising for days two and three. So, predictably, my prediction is
for a weather-affected draw.
M.Trescothick, B.Green, Azhar Ali, J.Hildreth, T.Abell (capt),
S.Davies (wk), D.Bess, L.Gregory, C.Overton, J.Overton and J.Davey.
Tim Robinson and Alex Wharf.
DATE |
RESULT |
VENUE |
TOSS |
DECISION |
SURREY |
SOMERSET |
20-22 Jun 2018 |
Won By An Inns & 69 Runs |
Guildford |
Uncontested |
Field |
459 |
180 & 210 |
19-22 Sep 2017 |
Won By 6 Wickets |
The Oval |
Somerset |
Bat |
433 & 146-4 |
269 & 306 |
7-10 Aug 2017 |
Match Drawn |
Taunton |
Uncontested |
Field |
345 |
436 |
28-30 May 2016 |
Lost By 1 Wicket |
Taunton |
Surrey |
Bat |
264 & 138 |
102 & 301-9 |
24-27 Apr 2016 |
Match Drawn |
The Oval |
Surrey |
Bat |
463 & 181-8d |
353 & 122-4 |
11-14 Sep 2013 |
Lost By 7 Wickets |
Taunton |
Surrey |
Bat |
195 & 197 |
260 & 133-3 |
17-20 Apr 2013 |
Match Drawn |
The Oval |
Somerset |
Bat |
366-9d |
384 & 251-9d |
28-31 Aug 2012 |
Match Drawn |
Taunton |
Surrey |
Bat |
317 & 360-5d |
294 |
16-19 May 2012 |
Match Drawn |
The Oval |
Somerset |
Bat |
388 & 239-7 |
512-9d & 180 |
12-15 Aug 2008 |
Match Drawn |
Taunton |
Surrey |
Field |
406-9 |
401-3d |
30 May - 2 Jun 2008 |
Lost By 8 Wickets |
Whitgift Sch |
Somerset |
Field |
326 & 227 |
446 & 111-2 |
19-22 Jul 2006 |
Match Drawn |
Guildford |
Somerset |
Bat |
717 |
688-8d |
14-16 Jun 2006 |
Won By 4 Wickets |
Bath |
Surrey |
Field |
266 & 356-6 |
342 & 276 |
3-6 Jul 2002 |
Match Drawn |
Taunton |
Somerset |
Field |
608-6d & 324-5d |
554 & 329-7 |
24-27 May 2002 |
Match Drawn |
The Oval |
Surrey |
Bat |
220 & 332 |
253 & 45-1 |
23-26 Aug 2001 |
Match Drawn |
Taunton |
Somerset |
Bat |
278 & 294-6 |
373 & 311-6d |
6-9 Jun 2001 |
Won By 6 Wickets |
The Oval |
Somerset |
Bat |
403 & 210-4 |
377 & 234 |
14-16 Jun 2000 |
Won By An Inns & 213 Runs |
The Oval |
Surrey |
Bat |
548 |
145 & 190 |
26-29 Apr 2000 |
Match Drawn |
Taunton |
Somerset |
Field |
185 |
302-8d |
26-29 May 1999 |
Won By 7 Wickets |
The Oval |
Somerset |
Bat |
558-9d & 49-3 |
199 & 405 |
GO
TO:
BACK TO:
|