SURREY V KENT -
Specsavers County Championship - 7 July 2019
Surrey 244-6. Kent.
Surrey had the better of a truncated and
attritional day’s cricket at The Kia Oval, in which Kent failed to
make the most of exaggerated movement before and after lunch.
Play started an hour late because of a wet
outfield, following overnight and early morning rain. And if the
Surrey batsmen did not know how difficult conditions would be their
innocence was dispelled after just two deliveries.
Rory Burns was dropped off the first ball of the
day, by Sean Dickson at first slip - the first of two he put down -
off the bowling of Harry Podmore. Podmore did not have to wait long
to make up for that. To his second delivery Mark Stoneman shouldered
arms and was lbw.
Batting was to remain difficult for most of the
day. Even after lunch, when the sun came out and the sluggish
outfield quickened, there was still humidity in the Oval air. Darren
Stevens, in particular, was outstanding. But, desperately unlucky,
he failed to take a wicket. Instead it was Grant Stewart, easily the
most expensive of the Kent bowlers, who ultimately proved the most
successful, taking three for 84 as Surrey closed on 244-6.
Dean Elgar batted heroically to survive the most
difficult of the conditions. But he was lucky to escape when, on
eight, he looked to be lbw to Podmore only to look up and see the
umpire signalling a no ball.
In the 14th over, after 53 minutes play, Burns
drove a delivery from Stewart - who had replaced Stevens - through
the covers for the first boundary of the morning. At lunch Surrey,
with much playing and missing, had reached 35-1 from 18 overs, with
Burns 18 and Elgar 13.
Surrey lost their second wicket at 73, in the 28th
over, when Burns received a nasty delivery from Stewart which lifted
and left him, and he edged it to the wicketkeeper. His 30 had
occupied 80 balls.
Elgar, meanwhile, was graduating from survival
mode to something more commanding. He reached his half-century when
he clipped Stevens through the leg side for two. But, without
addition, he was dropped by Dickson off the same bowler.
Podmore and Stevens continued to bowl with three
slips in place. At 99, in the 38th over, Podmore pitched one up to
Scott Borthwick, encouraging the drive. But the ball swung in
between bat and pad and bowled him.
Surrey reached tea on 119-3, with Elgar 62 not
out. But in the second over after the break he was lbw to Stewart.
Sam Curran decided to play a different way. His first two scoring
shots were fours through the covers. Then he jumped down the wicket
to lift Ollie Rayner for six over long-on.
Curran hit six fours and two sixes in a
belligerent 43 before he skied a hook to midwicket. Then Jamie Smith
was lbw to Stewart for 14. But the resolute Ben Foakes was unbeaten
on 57 when bad light brought play to an end with 9.2 overs unbowled.
Sam Curran (Surrey): "Dean [Elgar] and Burnsy
[Rory Burns] showed their class today, which is why they’re
international players. And they kept feeding messages back to the
dressing room, which was important. There was something in the
wicket for the bowlers. It got better as the day went on. We’re in
a pretty strong position and hopefully we can put some pressure on
with the ball when we bowl. We would have settled for this. We’re
pretty happy. Any time you get put into bat and you lose only six
wickets on day one you have to be pretty happy, even though there
has been some time lost in the game. Foakesy [Ben Foakes] looks in
good nick and Rikki has been in good form, so hopefully they can get
to that new ball and get a score on the board so we can put pressure
on the Kent batting order."
Ollie Rayner (Kent): "We would have liked a
few more wickets out of today. After Stoneman’s leave, which came
back about half a foot this morning, we thought we might get through
a few more of them. But I think the boys stuck at it really well.
There was only one stage, with Foakesy [Ben Stokes] and Sam [Curran]
where they got away from us. And we’re only a couple of overs off
the new ball in the morning. It will be a big hour in the morning,
and then hopefully it will have flattened out for our batters. It
will be interesting to see how the pitch goes from here. But if we
get them out for anything less than 300 it will be pretty decent
from this position. We dropped a couple of chances, but they batted
well to be fair."
TEA REPORT
After lunch the sun came out, the outfield
quickened and batting looked a little easier, with boundaries coming
in each of the first three overs.
But at 73, in the 28th over, Burns received a
delivery from Stewart - Kent’s most expensive bowler by some
distance - that lifted and left him and he edged it to the
wicketkeeper. His 30 had occupied 80 balls.
Elgar, looking increasingly assured, reached his
half-century when he clipped Stevens through the leg side for two.
But, without addition, he was dropped by Dickson at first slip off
the same bowler.
The sun was out but there was still humidity in
The Oval air and both Podmore and Stevens operated with three slips
still in place. At 99, in the 38th over, Podmore pitched one up to
Scott Borthwick, encouraging the drive. But the ball swung in
between bat and pad and bowled him. New batsman Ben Foakes, at No 5,
was the first right-hander in the Surrey line-up.
At tea Surrey had ground their way to 119-3 from
49 overs, with Elgar unbeaten on 62.
LUNCH REPORT
Play did not get under way at The Kia Oval until
noon, because of overnight and early morning rain, and when it did
batting proved to be a difficult proposition for the Surrey openers.
Rory Burns was dropped off the first ball of the
day, by Sean Dickson at first slip off the bowling of Harry Podmore.
But Podmore’s disappointment was short-lived. With his second
delivery he had Mark Stoneman lbw.
There was plenty of movement for Podmore and Kent’s
other opening bowler, Darren Stevens, and the slow outfield added to
Surrey’s problems. Dean Elgar appeared to be lbw to Podmore but it
was the bowler’s first no-ball of the day.
In the 14th over, after 53 minutes play, Burns
drove a delivery from Grant Stewart - who had replaced Stevens -
through the covers for the first boundary of the morning. At lunch
Surrey, with much playing and missing, had reached 35-1 from 18
overs, with Burns 18 and Elgar 13.
GO TO:
BACK TO:
|