DERNBACH
JOINS THE HUNDRED CLUB by Marcus Hook
Surrey 490 & 165-2 v Middlesex 324.
In a match that was in many ways billed as a
battle of the batsmen - will Ramprakash punish his former employers
again, is Scott Newman capable of doing likewise and can Andrew
Strauss find some form with the bat ahead of this summer's Tests? -
it could well be that Jade Dernbach, who triggered Middlesex's slump
from 220-2 to 324 all out yesterday, has made the most decisive
contribution. The wicket of Pedro Collins was the 24-year-old's one
hundredth in first-class cricket and his 5-68 were his best ever at
the Oval. But with Mark Ramprakash, who has also had a say in this
contest, following-up his resolute 223 with an entertaining 86 not
out from 102 deliveries, the hosts have an imposing 331-run
advantage going into the final day.
With Middlesex resuming on 148, Scott Newman, who
began day three on 79, moved into the nineties by sweeping Gareth
Batty for four and then six. But, in the 43rd over, the former
Surrey left-hander prodded at a short ball from Chris Tremlett to be
caught behind. Newman's 91 had taken him 154 minutes, 143 deliveries
and it included 13 fours and two maximums.
Six overs later, Owais Shah edged a low catch to
the wicketkeeper off Andre Nel. After taking his side past 200,
primarily by latching on to anything short and wide of his off
stump, Andrew Strauss pushed the door ajar by driving Dernbach
lazily to Matthew Spriegel at extra cover in the 61st over. Neil
Dexter, driving, fell to a catch behind four overs later and with
John Simpson going early at a slower ball to be caught at short
extra cover, the visitors went to lunch on 237-5.
In the 72nd over, Dawid Malan, sweeping, looped a
catch up to Rory Hamilton-Brown running back from slip to leg-slip.
Malan was far from happy with umpire Martin Bodenham's decision,
however, indicating that he felt the ball hit his left forearm.
Gareth Berg attempted to arrest Middlesex's
decline by dancing down pitch and punching Batty over long-off for
six in the 80th over, but his colleagues were found wanting by
Dernbach, who, after switching to the Vauxhall End, trapped Shaun
Udal leg before with a leg-stump yorker in the 82nd over and beat
Pedro Collins for pace two overs later; though not before Tim
Murtagh, looking to drive Nel through cover point off the back foot,
was caught behind for a duck.
Berg found some backing in the shape of Steven
Finn. Together, the tenth-wicket pair added 28 in six overs before
Berg was caught behind off an inside edge to complete a
disappointing response to Surrey's purposeful 490.
Despite spurning the chance to enforce the
follow-on, the hosts had manoeuvred themselves into a strong
position by stumps thanks to Arun Harinath and Mark Ramprakash's
second-wicket partnership of 130 in 28 overs.
Harinath was quick to come down the pitch to Udal
and hit him for a straight six, but in the tenth over Laurie Evans
was bowled around his legs, attempting to flick Finn down to fine
leg. Harinath went to his highest score in the championship with
some shrewd sweeps and pulls off the spinners, but his fifty
arrived, in the 34th over, when he backed away to make room and
punched Berg straight down the ground for four. Harinath's
half-century came off 101 balls; though not before Ramprakash, who
struck three fours off the first eight balls he received, had
progressed to his in just 61 deliveries.
Unfortunately for Surrey, Harinath, looking to
work a well-flighted ball through mid-on, was bowled by Shah with
four overs to go.
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