PIETERSEN TAKES CENTRE STAGE
by Marcus Hook
Surrey 430-5 v Lancashire 485-7
Having spent the first two days at Guildford
stationed on the boundary, Kevin Pietersen not only claimed
centre stage at Woodbridge Road, but also made up for lost time by
motoring to his first championship double century in over nine years,
thus enabling Surrey, who ended day three on 430-5, to eat into
Lancashire's 485-7 declared.
Even though this contest is heading for a draw,
Pietersen's exhibition of strokeplay will live long in the memory. His
unbeaten 234 in 286 minutes, came off just 190 balls and showcased 8
sixes and 30 fours.
By no means was it a lone hand. Zander de Bruyn,
with whom he put on 181 in 35 overs for the third wicket, rediscovered
his form. Since Pietersen is unlikely to feature again for Surrey in
the County Championship, de Bruyn's 94 off 159 balls - his highest
score of the season - comes at a welcome time with trips to
Nottinghamshire and then Warwickshire looming.
On a blustery day, Lancashire added a further 60 in
nine overs to their overnight position. Steven Croft contributed
another 50 in 35 deliveries en route to a career best 154 not out.
Stuart Meaker was given the first over of the day
and Croft duly edged him to third man. In the next over, Croft
bettered the scores of 122 he made in 2008 and 2011, though not before
Jon Lewis had been lifted over midwicket for a maximum.
Ajmal Shahzad brought up the 450 for Lancashire by
despatching Lewis through the leg-side for four. But it was Croft, who
climbed into anything short of a length, who left the visitors with
the lion's share of the morning session to make early inroads.
Indeed, needing 336 to avoid the follow-on, Surrey
lost Rory Burns first ball, when the 21-year-old left-hander
shouldered arms to Glen Chapple. De Bruyn's response was to pull the
Lancashire captain to the boundary.
In the eighth over, Zafar Ansari unfurled a classic
straight drive off Kyle Hogg for four and repeated the shot off
Shahzad three overs later. De Bruyn
despatched Shahzad for two successive fours, the first of which was
driven confidently through point. But, just before lunch, Shahzad,
opting to go around wicket, had Ansari caught low and to the left of
Tom Smith at second slip for 21.
After the break, Pietersen whipped Shahzad through
midwicket for four. Two overs later, the former England captain
despatched Shahzad to long-off, ran an all-run four to long-on and
then gave a leg stump half volley just what it deserved.
Pietersen lifted Simon Kerrigan's first delivery
after switching ends over the sightscreen at the Railway End for six.
In the 29th over, Pietersen swept the slow left-armer for four to
bring up a 42-ball half-century.
De Bruyn moved to his third championship fifty of
the season, in 89 deliveries, with his eighth boundary - a cut to the
rope at backward point off Chapple - though not before Pietersen had
pulled the 38-year-old seamer disdainfully for four.
In the 34th over, Pietersen pulled Shahzad past
mid-on and away to the rope, but for the next thirty minutes Surrey
only mustered 26 in eight overs. It proved to be the calm before the
storm.
Pietersen secured Surrey's first batting point of
the match, and their ninth of the summer, with the first of two
successive fours off Shahzad. In the 47th over, Pietersen joined de
Bruyn in the nineties when he deposited Kerrigan in the car park at
the Railway End.
Two overs later, the veteran of 86 Tests launched a
long hop from Kerrigan over the trees and into the neighbouring
Dapdune Wharf to bring up his hundred off only 93 balls.
Just before tea, de Bruyn, looking to sweep, went
leg before to Kerrigan, who was brought back down to earth shortly
after the break when Pietersen clubbed him over long off for a maximum
to make it 259-3.
Pietersen only needed 37 deliveries to turn his
first championship hundred for over four years into 150. Immediately
he got it, however, Steven Davies, who had been dropped at cover point
on 19, edged Smith behind to depart for 22.
In the 75th over, Pietersen moved to 196 by lifting
a full toss from Kerrigan over square leg. But, three overs later,
Jason Roy, who was just beginning to set about the bowling himself,
hooked Shahzad straight down the throat of Kerrigan at deep fine leg
to make it 391-5.
Pietersen brought up his double hundred, off 170
balls, with a single to deep square leg off Shahzad. It contained 7
sixes and 25 fours. But, still, Pietersen craved more. In the last
five overs he clubbed a further five fours
and drilled Kerrigan into the sightscreen, which left the 23-year-old
to reflect on figures of one for 152 off 23 overs.
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