SURREY V SOMERSET at the Kia Oval (SSCC1), 19-22 SEPTEMBER 2017
Third plays host to seventh for
what could well be Kumar Sangakkara's
his last ever appearance at the Oval, unless Alec Stewart can
talk him into playing in next summer’s Twenty20.
As the returning officer for the Supporters’ Club's
end of season awards voting, I don’t think it’s letting the cat out of
the bag in revealing that Sanga is this year’s player of the season.
The return of Sangakkara - not to mention Mark Stoneman -
brings a touch of class to the top of the order heading into the last
few weeks of the campaign, not that runs have been a problem for
Surrey in the County Championship.
One senses the flat pitches at
the Oval will end up being a feature of the season, unless, of course,
Lee Fortis serves up a turner for this match, which would be risky
given the current form of offie Dom Bess and slow left-armer Jack
Leach. Between them, the Somerset spin twins have taken 23 wickets at an
average of 20.08 in their side's pair of recent championship victories
over Warwickshire and Lancashire. Mind you, as someone pointed out to
me last week, only two teams have bowled their opponents out twice at
the Oval this season - England and Surrey.
When England did so, Dean Elgar
hit 136; playing a lone hand in the second innings for South Africa.
It hasn’t helped
Somerset's cause that Elgar, their
overseas player, was only available for six championship fixtures. But
it wasn’t as though the 30-year-old left-hander
was expected to be on the fringes of this summer’s Test series
with England. What also seems to be an
example of bad planning, or quite possibly man management, is allowing
Adam Hose (who currently sits third in
Somerset’s championship batting averages) to
leave mid-season and join Warwickshire.
Even after two successive wins
the batting analyses appear to be a throwback to the 1960s and 1970s.
James Hildreth, fourth in the list, is averaging 28.28 and Marcus
Trescothick, who is fifth, is averaging 27.61, followed by skipper Tom
Abell (26.88). Indeed, unless one of Steven Davies (602 at an average
of 33.44), Hildreth or Trescothick make in the region of 400 runs in
two games, Somerset will fail to produce a 1,000-run man for the first
time in the Champo since 2004.
Craig Overton has shouldered the
new ball duties manfully. His 42 championship wickets at 21.47 runs
apiece this season will almost certainly be rewarded with selection
for the England Lions this winter, which, of course, would mean he'd
be just an injury or two away from involvement in the Ashes.
Surrey v Somerset - First-Class Records Sheet
Rory Burns and Mark Stoneman have 922 and 959
runs respectively in this season's County Championship.
Stoneman is also 57 runs shy of
9,000 in first-class cricket and Rikki Clarke starts with 399 f-c
wickets under his belt. Of the visiting contingent, Dom Bess (45) is
closing in on his 50th first-class victim with the ball.
There are no changes to the 13-man squad for last week's clash
against Yorkshire, as Tom Curran and Jason Roy remain on England one-day
duty. Dernbach for Van den Bergh, should the conditions dictate, seems
the most likely modification, if any.
OPPONENT |
DATE |
RESULT |
VENUE |
SURREY |
OPPONENT |
Yorkshire |
12-15 Sep 2017 |
Match Drawn |
The Oval |
592 |
394 & 281-2 |
Hampshire |
5-8 Sep 2017 |
Match Drawn |
Rose Bowl |
200 & 280-4 |
290 |
Middlesex |
28-31 Aug 2017 |
Match Drawn |
The Oval |
280 |
247 & 214-7 |
Somerset |
7-10 Aug 2017 |
Match Drawn |
Taunton |
345 |
436 |
Hampshire |
3-6 Jul 2017 |
Match Drawn |
The Oval |
483 & 166-3d |
648-7d |
Surrey's recent
"September" record in the County Championship
now stands at P13
W1 D6 L6; and since
beating Somerset at Bath in 2006, their championship record against
the Cidermen reads a disappointing P10 W0 D7 L3. Turning to the weather forecast,
they're saying it will be a tad warmer than of late, with the
threat of the occasional shower on Day Four. But, if it's possible,
the wickets at the Oval seem to be getting flatter. Provided both
sides don't do anything foolish with the willow, I can only see this
ending up as
a draw.
M.Trescothick, E.Byrom, G.Bartlett, J.Hildreth, T.Abell (capt),
S.Davies (wk), P.Trego, C.Overton, D.Bess, J.Leach and T.Groenewald.
Ian Gould and Steve O'Shaughnessy.
DATE |
RESULT |
VENUE |
TOSS |
DECISION |
SURREY |
SOMERSET |
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 School |
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 |
21-24 May 1998 |
Lost By 165 Runs |
Taunton |
Surrey |
Field |
241 & 245 |
176 & 475 |
23-26 Apr 1997 |
Match Drawn |
The Oval |
Somerset |
Bat |
209-8 |
463 |
GO
TO:
BACK TO:
|