SOMERSET V SURREY -
Specsavers County Championship - 14 May 2019
Surrey 330-6. Somerset.
Centuries from Rory Burns and Dean Elgar put
Surrey in a strong position before a determined Somerset fight-back
on the opening day of the Specsavers County Championship match at
Taunton.
Having won the toss on a day of unbroken sunshine,
the visitors ran up 330 for six, with skipper Burns contributing 107
and Elgar making 103 against one of his former clubs.
Surrey were 265 for two at one stage, but then
lost four wickets for 30 runs as Lewis Gregory struck twice on his
way to figures of three for 44 from 17 overs at the River End.
Ryan Patel (25 not out) and Rikki Clarke (28 not
out) steadied the ship and by the close Surrey had regained momentum
going into day two.
Burns took the obvious decision to bat first on
what appeared a true batting pitch under cloudless skies and was
rewarded when he and Mark Stoneman put together an opening stand of
96 from 30.3 overs.
They were parted just before lunch when Stoneman,
who had moved to his half-century off 105 balls, with 6 fours, edged
a defensive shot off Jack Brooks through to wicketkeeper Steve
Davies and departed for 50.
Shortly after the interval it was 99 for two as
Scott Borthwick was caught at third slip by Craig Overton, driving
at a delivery from Gregory.
With the total 108, Burns, on 42, survived a
leg-side chance to Davies off Gregory. It proved an expensive miss
as the Surrey captain moved to fifty from 109 balls, with 5 fours.
Elgar was more fluent, reaching his fifty off 71
deliveries and by tea the third-wicket partnership was worth 118,
Surrey having progressed to 217 for two.
Burns had been given another life on 84 when Azhar
Ali spilled a comfortable catch at deep square off Brooks. The final
session saw the opener reach three figures with a leg glance for two
off Craig Overton.
But Somerset stuck to their task well. When Burns
finally fell to a top-edged pull shot that saw him caught at mid-on
off Tim Groenewald, having faced 188 balls and hit 10 fours, the
hosts sensed an opening.
It was 268 for four when Ben Foakes was caught
behind for three off a fine delivery from Somerset captain Tom Abell,
who delayed taking the new ball as the old one was swinging.
That proved sound thinking as Elgar, who cut Abell
for four to reach a 165-ball ton, was pinned lbw by a toe-crushing
yorker from Gregory.
Will Jacks fell without scoring, another
leg-before victim for Gregory, and suddenly Somerset were on top for
the first time.
They took the second new ball at the start of the
90th over with the score 314 for six, but failed to make another
breakthrough against a confident Patel and Clarke.
Somerset head coach Jason Kerr said: "We had
a bit of luck when Dean Elgar hit a six into the river because the
replacement ball swung around. That's why we delayed taking the
second new ball.
"I thought our bowlers stuck to their task
really well. At one point Surrey had over 200 for two with two
international batsmen at the crease, yet we never let them get away.
"It's hard to say what a par score is on this
pitch, but I felt we bowled really well. Unfortunately, we let a
couple of chances slip, which isn't like us, but that's
cricket."
Surrey skipper Rory Burns said: "It was an
alright day for us. You always want to be a couple less wickets
down, but at the end of play we are pretty happy with the position.
"There was something in the pitch for the
bowlers if they maintained line and length. I was pleased with the
partnerships we put together because we had to fight heard for our
runs throughout the day.
"It was possible to build partnerships by
being patient, but getting in wasn't easy and wickets fell in
clusters."
TEA REPORT
Rory Burns led a strong Surrey batting display on
the opening day of the Specsavers County Championship match with
Somerset at Taunton.
The skipper was unbeaten on 95 at tea, having won
the toss and seen his side run up 217 for two from 64 overs in
glorious sunshine.
Mark Stoneman contributed 50 to an opening stand
of 96 with Burns before edging a defensive shot off Jack Brooks
through to wicketkeeper Steve Davies.
At lunch it was 97 for one and only two runs had
been added when Scott Borthwick, on one, edged a drive off Lewis
Gregory to Craig Overton at third slip.
Burns, whose half-century came off 109 balls,
survived a leg-side chance to Davies off Gregory on 42 and a
straightforward one to Azhar Ali at deep square off Brooks on 84.
Dean Elgar had helped add 118 for the third wicket
by tea and was 60 not out having reached fifty off 71 balls, with 8
fours.
LUNCH REPORT
Mark Stoneman and Rory Burns gave Surrey a solid
start to the Specsavers County Championship match with Somerset at
Taunton.
The pair put together and opening stand of 96 from
30.3 overs on the opening morning after Burns had won the toss and
elected to bat in bright sunshine.
Stoneman had moved to a half-century off 105
balls, with six fours, when edging a defensive shot off Jack Brooks
through to wicketkeeper Steve Davies and departing for 50.
Somerset's bowlers found little assistance from
what looked a prime batting pitch, but maintained a disciplined line
and length.
By lunch Burns had progressed to 36, having been
joined by Scott Borthwick, and Surrey were well placed at 97 for one
from 32 overs.
During the break Somerset's Jason Kerr was
presented with the Coach of the Month award for April under a new
ECB initiative.
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