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Sunday, 23 June 2013
Time for a holiday
I'm taking my mid-season break for a couple of weeks. I managed to stay to hear Kevin Pietersen's excellent hundred against Yorkshire, happily he seems to be just fine with the Ashes approaching. I'll also miss the beginning of the Twenty20 tournament, a tournament that represents our only chance of silverware this season. We might have a team chock full of old boys, but we have a much better balanced side than we have in previous years so we could spring a surprise. I hope we give a good account of ourselves in my absence!
Saturday, 22 June 2013
Captain Gale makes it Yorkshire's day
Sometimes you come up against a man in such an extraordinary run of form that you have to take your hat off. Such a situation befell Surrey yesterday as Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale followed up his 272 against Nottinghamshire in early June and 103 against Middlesex ten days ago with another accomplished hundred. He ensured his side had the better of day one as they closed on 292-5.
Vikram Solanki won the toss and asked his opponents to bat first on an overcast day. Twice this season teams have been asked to bat first at Headingley, and on both occasions the team batting first lost by an innings. So there was some logic to Solanki's decision. Andy Flower might not see it the same way mind you, with a very dubious forecast for the weekend he probably would've like to see Kevin Pietersen batting sooner rather than later.
Jon Lewis, selected ahead of Matthew Dunn as suspected, and Chris Tremlett opened the bowling and kept the Yorkshire openers very quiet. Alex Lees took almost seven overs to get off the mark and Adam Lyth wasn't much quicker. Surrey's bowlers may reflect on not making them play the ball more often though.
Partly thanks to Tremlett's opening spell of 5-2-4-0 Yorkshire had just nine runs on the board at the end of the ninth over. However a change in the bowling meant the runs flowed a little more freely and by the end of the 16th over both batsmen were established as the partnership approached 50. Indeed it hit exactly that as the players left the field for an early lunch thanks to bad light.
The immediate period after lunch brought Surrey's most successful bowling spell of the day. With the score on 62 Tremlett induced some extra bounce from the pitch and the ball pinged off the edge of Lyth's bat to Solanki at slip. Lees followed just an over later as Zander de Bruyn trapped him leg before, and then Joe Sayers continued a poor run of form by edging Tim Linley to slip. Three wickets had fallen for just 15 runs in nine overs leaving Yorkshire needing to rebuild on 77-3.
But they're not top of the table for nothing and Gale put on a very fine double century partnership with the excellent Gary Ballance to wrest the initiative back for his side. Gale was very much the aggressor as he went to his fifty off 77 balls and then his hundred from 137, while Ballance was much more circumspect. The partnership was finally broken by Jon Lewis with the second new ball in hand, and he followed the wicket of Ballance with that of the in-form Adil Rashid as Surrey ended the day on a positive note.
Having sent your opponents in to bat ideally you want to have them all out in a day, as we did with Sussex. So with only half their batsmen back in the pavilion, the day belonged to Yorkshire. There is life in the wicket and there will be some fine bowling for Surrey to face. We need to pick off the final five wickets for significantly less than 400 runs to have much hope in this match. And we need the weather to play ball.
Vikram Solanki won the toss and asked his opponents to bat first on an overcast day. Twice this season teams have been asked to bat first at Headingley, and on both occasions the team batting first lost by an innings. So there was some logic to Solanki's decision. Andy Flower might not see it the same way mind you, with a very dubious forecast for the weekend he probably would've like to see Kevin Pietersen batting sooner rather than later.
Jon Lewis, selected ahead of Matthew Dunn as suspected, and Chris Tremlett opened the bowling and kept the Yorkshire openers very quiet. Alex Lees took almost seven overs to get off the mark and Adam Lyth wasn't much quicker. Surrey's bowlers may reflect on not making them play the ball more often though.
Partly thanks to Tremlett's opening spell of 5-2-4-0 Yorkshire had just nine runs on the board at the end of the ninth over. However a change in the bowling meant the runs flowed a little more freely and by the end of the 16th over both batsmen were established as the partnership approached 50. Indeed it hit exactly that as the players left the field for an early lunch thanks to bad light.
The immediate period after lunch brought Surrey's most successful bowling spell of the day. With the score on 62 Tremlett induced some extra bounce from the pitch and the ball pinged off the edge of Lyth's bat to Solanki at slip. Lees followed just an over later as Zander de Bruyn trapped him leg before, and then Joe Sayers continued a poor run of form by edging Tim Linley to slip. Three wickets had fallen for just 15 runs in nine overs leaving Yorkshire needing to rebuild on 77-3.
But they're not top of the table for nothing and Gale put on a very fine double century partnership with the excellent Gary Ballance to wrest the initiative back for his side. Gale was very much the aggressor as he went to his fifty off 77 balls and then his hundred from 137, while Ballance was much more circumspect. The partnership was finally broken by Jon Lewis with the second new ball in hand, and he followed the wicket of Ballance with that of the in-form Adil Rashid as Surrey ended the day on a positive note.
Having sent your opponents in to bat ideally you want to have them all out in a day, as we did with Sussex. So with only half their batsmen back in the pavilion, the day belonged to Yorkshire. There is life in the wicket and there will be some fine bowling for Surrey to face. We need to pick off the final five wickets for significantly less than 400 runs to have much hope in this match. And we need the weather to play ball.
Thursday, 20 June 2013
Life after Adams begins with trip to Yorkshire
There's some kind of strange symmetry to the fact that in the same week Surrey fired Director of Cricket Chris Adams they are travelling to the county from whom he spurned an offer of the captaincy in 2006. We're facing our second set of table-topping opposition in two weeks after Yorkshire overhauled Sussex at the summit with an impressive ten wicket win over Middlesex last week.
Stuart Barnes, or Alec Stewart, or someone, has named a 12 man squad including Kevin Pietersen for the first time this year. The squad and possible XI is as follows:
Rory Burns
Arun Harinath
Vikram Solanki
Kevin Pietersen
Ricky Ponting
Zander de Bruyn
Steven Davies
Jon Lewis
Chris Tremlett
Tim Linley
Gary Keedy
12th man: Matthew Dunn
Four names are notable by their absence. First, Jade Dernbach, he's been called into the England squad for the two T20 games against New Zealand next week so is unavailable. Stuart Meaker meanwhile, rather worryingly, still seems to be unfit for selection following his knee injury. Which leaves Gary Wilson and Zafar Ansari as the remaining absentees. Someone was always going to have to make way for Pietersen and Wilson is the unfortunate candidate despite some very good performances this year. Zafar Ansari is also left out despite a very creditable first Championship outing of the season at Arundel so Gary Keedy is recalled. That seems a very questionable call to me since only 11 wickets have fallen to spinners in three Headingley fixtures so far in 2013. Not to mention the fact that Ansari is a far superior batsman and fielder to Keedy.
The make-up of the bowling attack will be interesting. Matt Dunn makes the squad for the first time this year but is probably unlikely to play, wrongly in my view. We need 20 wickets and with Ponting and Pietersen in the top six, and Davies at seven, we can afford the gamble of a slightly longer-than-usual tail for this game. Dunn is still raw and may go for a few runs but he's such a good prospect that surely he is more deserving of a place in the side than Jon Lewis, reliable though Lewis is.
The batting order will be also be of interest. Pietersen will presumably want to bat at four, where he will bat for England in the Ashes. Ponting didn't want to bat at three when he arrived at the club and one assumes that hasn't changed. The logical assumption therefore is that Solanki will stick with the number three slot and Ponting will come in at five.
The pitch at Headingley ought to be more sporting than some of those we've become accustomed to watching Surrey grind out games on this season. It will be interesting to see how the side cope, in the two fixtures (against Durham and Nottinghamshire) where there's been life in the pitch, we've been comprehensively outplayed by the opposition. We can't afford for that to happen again.
Yorkshire are the form team in the country, unbeaten since losing by an innings to Sussex in their opening game, they've won four of their seven matches since. For this game they welcome back seam bowler Jack Brooks and batsman Gary Ballance (though Ballance will only play the first two days before departing for England duty - not quite sure why his situation differs from Dernbach) from injury. However Phil Jaques is missing with an abdominal strain. In Brooks, Ryan Sidebottom and Liam Plunkett Yorkshire have a fine seam attack, backed up by allrounder Adil Rashid who is averaging a remarkable 145 with the bat and 34 with the ball.
The bonus points from the Sussex game hauled us out of the bottom two but we've still got a fight on our hands and we desperately need to get a win under our belts. The departure of Adams is hopefully a chance to refresh and re-focus efforts. The return of Pietersen, assuming he's back to 100%, will also be a boost. However as has been the case on a number of occasions of late, the weather could have the final say in this game.
Surrey's interim coach Barnes said in an interview today that his coaching style was all about structure and organisation, something that we do seem to have been missing a bit of on the field this year (particularly in the bowling though - Barnes' responsibility!). Perhaps his elevation to the top job - sort of - and with the help of Alec Stewart, we can start the second half of the season in the best possible way.
Stuart Barnes, or Alec Stewart, or someone, has named a 12 man squad including Kevin Pietersen for the first time this year. The squad and possible XI is as follows:
Rory Burns
Arun Harinath
Vikram Solanki
Kevin Pietersen
Ricky Ponting
Zander de Bruyn
Steven Davies
Jon Lewis
Chris Tremlett
Tim Linley
Gary Keedy
12th man: Matthew Dunn
Four names are notable by their absence. First, Jade Dernbach, he's been called into the England squad for the two T20 games against New Zealand next week so is unavailable. Stuart Meaker meanwhile, rather worryingly, still seems to be unfit for selection following his knee injury. Which leaves Gary Wilson and Zafar Ansari as the remaining absentees. Someone was always going to have to make way for Pietersen and Wilson is the unfortunate candidate despite some very good performances this year. Zafar Ansari is also left out despite a very creditable first Championship outing of the season at Arundel so Gary Keedy is recalled. That seems a very questionable call to me since only 11 wickets have fallen to spinners in three Headingley fixtures so far in 2013. Not to mention the fact that Ansari is a far superior batsman and fielder to Keedy.
The make-up of the bowling attack will be interesting. Matt Dunn makes the squad for the first time this year but is probably unlikely to play, wrongly in my view. We need 20 wickets and with Ponting and Pietersen in the top six, and Davies at seven, we can afford the gamble of a slightly longer-than-usual tail for this game. Dunn is still raw and may go for a few runs but he's such a good prospect that surely he is more deserving of a place in the side than Jon Lewis, reliable though Lewis is.
The batting order will be also be of interest. Pietersen will presumably want to bat at four, where he will bat for England in the Ashes. Ponting didn't want to bat at three when he arrived at the club and one assumes that hasn't changed. The logical assumption therefore is that Solanki will stick with the number three slot and Ponting will come in at five.
The pitch at Headingley ought to be more sporting than some of those we've become accustomed to watching Surrey grind out games on this season. It will be interesting to see how the side cope, in the two fixtures (against Durham and Nottinghamshire) where there's been life in the pitch, we've been comprehensively outplayed by the opposition. We can't afford for that to happen again.
Yorkshire are the form team in the country, unbeaten since losing by an innings to Sussex in their opening game, they've won four of their seven matches since. For this game they welcome back seam bowler Jack Brooks and batsman Gary Ballance (though Ballance will only play the first two days before departing for England duty - not quite sure why his situation differs from Dernbach) from injury. However Phil Jaques is missing with an abdominal strain. In Brooks, Ryan Sidebottom and Liam Plunkett Yorkshire have a fine seam attack, backed up by allrounder Adil Rashid who is averaging a remarkable 145 with the bat and 34 with the ball.
The bonus points from the Sussex game hauled us out of the bottom two but we've still got a fight on our hands and we desperately need to get a win under our belts. The departure of Adams is hopefully a chance to refresh and re-focus efforts. The return of Pietersen, assuming he's back to 100%, will also be a boost. However as has been the case on a number of occasions of late, the weather could have the final say in this game.
Surrey's interim coach Barnes said in an interview today that his coaching style was all about structure and organisation, something that we do seem to have been missing a bit of on the field this year (particularly in the bowling though - Barnes' responsibility!). Perhaps his elevation to the top job - sort of - and with the help of Alec Stewart, we can start the second half of the season in the best possible way.
Tuesday, 18 June 2013
Chris Adams sacked
As most of you will know by now, Chris Adams and Ian Salisbury have been relieved of their duties at Surrey. I've expressed my thoughts on ESPNCricinfo's County Cricket blogging network here.
Sad as it always is for a club to part company with a coach, this has to be seen as an opportunity to refresh. I hope we can get someone in who can lead this talented squad to the success it deserves. I also wish Adams and Salisbury all the best and hope they find success elsewhere.
Sad as it always is for a club to part company with a coach, this has to be seen as an opportunity to refresh. I hope we can get someone in who can lead this talented squad to the success it deserves. I also wish Adams and Salisbury all the best and hope they find success elsewhere.
Saturday, 15 June 2013
Another draw but plenty of positives
What goes around comes around in cricket, so to blame the weather for a failure to win this match would be folly. But what the hell, if it hadn't rained on Wednesday we'd have had a mighty fine chance of beating a very good Sussex side.
The sedate beginning to the day, where Zander de Bruyn deservedly went to his first hundred of the season supported by Zafar Ansari, belied what was to come. Once that pair were dismissed, for 111 and 13 respectively, the fireworks began. Chris Tremlett and Tim Linley put together a ninth wicket partnership worth 74 in only seven overs. Tremlett registered his second fifty for Surrey from only 29 balls, in the process taking Surrey to maximum batting points with a ball to spare, hitting Steve Magoffin for consecutive sixes. All in all he took the leading wicket taker in County Cricket for four sixes and 30 runs in just three overs. It was an indicator of just how flat the pitch had become, and just what a mammoth task Surrey would have to bowl out an experienced Sussex batting lineup in less than three sessions.
Once Tremlett was dismissed to give Chris Jordan his third wicket Vikram Solanki called time on the innings giving Surrey a lead of 161 over their opponents. Chris Nash and Luke Wells had just under an hour to bat before lunch and for Surrey to have any hope of winning they needed the new ball to do some damage. It didn't.
Wells and Nash put on a century partnership to all-but secure the draw. A few balls went past the edge and Wells edged a number of deliveries, but nothing went to hand. It was possibly not the best new ball bowling Surrey have ever indulged in, but in truth getting ten wickets on such a docile surface would always been a very tough ask for any attack. Ansari did wheedle out two wickets and conceded just 49 runs from his 20 overs. He has, in bowling 32 overs in this game, matched the haul of wickets Gary Keedy managed in 126, and gave fewer runs away in the process. It's hard to see how Keedy plays Championship cricket for us again this year aside from as injury cover.
The captains shook hands on a draw before 5pm after Nash moved to his first Championship hundred of 2013. We have now drawn six of eight games this year and needless to say we are still without a win at the halfway point. On a positive note our haul of 11 points from this game did lift us above Somerset but just as with Durham last year, you have to think they are too good a side to remain in the bottom two. As are we for that matter.
Aside from this game ending in another draw, there are signs that a corner may have been turned. It was another flat pitch but our batsmen again showed a lot of resilience. And in light of the flatness of the pitch the bowlers must be praised for knocking over Sussex for under 300 on day two. We've strung together three strong days of Championship cricket for the first time this season and that is significant. The players have a few days off before we play the form team, Yorkshire at Headingley starting on Friday. For that game we'll welcome back one Kevin Pietersen. If a corner has been turned, next week's game will be a cracker.
The sedate beginning to the day, where Zander de Bruyn deservedly went to his first hundred of the season supported by Zafar Ansari, belied what was to come. Once that pair were dismissed, for 111 and 13 respectively, the fireworks began. Chris Tremlett and Tim Linley put together a ninth wicket partnership worth 74 in only seven overs. Tremlett registered his second fifty for Surrey from only 29 balls, in the process taking Surrey to maximum batting points with a ball to spare, hitting Steve Magoffin for consecutive sixes. All in all he took the leading wicket taker in County Cricket for four sixes and 30 runs in just three overs. It was an indicator of just how flat the pitch had become, and just what a mammoth task Surrey would have to bowl out an experienced Sussex batting lineup in less than three sessions.
Once Tremlett was dismissed to give Chris Jordan his third wicket Vikram Solanki called time on the innings giving Surrey a lead of 161 over their opponents. Chris Nash and Luke Wells had just under an hour to bat before lunch and for Surrey to have any hope of winning they needed the new ball to do some damage. It didn't.
Wells and Nash put on a century partnership to all-but secure the draw. A few balls went past the edge and Wells edged a number of deliveries, but nothing went to hand. It was possibly not the best new ball bowling Surrey have ever indulged in, but in truth getting ten wickets on such a docile surface would always been a very tough ask for any attack. Ansari did wheedle out two wickets and conceded just 49 runs from his 20 overs. He has, in bowling 32 overs in this game, matched the haul of wickets Gary Keedy managed in 126, and gave fewer runs away in the process. It's hard to see how Keedy plays Championship cricket for us again this year aside from as injury cover.
The captains shook hands on a draw before 5pm after Nash moved to his first Championship hundred of 2013. We have now drawn six of eight games this year and needless to say we are still without a win at the halfway point. On a positive note our haul of 11 points from this game did lift us above Somerset but just as with Durham last year, you have to think they are too good a side to remain in the bottom two. As are we for that matter.
Aside from this game ending in another draw, there are signs that a corner may have been turned. It was another flat pitch but our batsmen again showed a lot of resilience. And in light of the flatness of the pitch the bowlers must be praised for knocking over Sussex for under 300 on day two. We've strung together three strong days of Championship cricket for the first time this season and that is significant. The players have a few days off before we play the form team, Yorkshire at Headingley starting on Friday. For that game we'll welcome back one Kevin Pietersen. If a corner has been turned, next week's game will be a cracker.
Friday, 14 June 2013
Slim chance of a win on final day
Taken as a whole these last couple of days probably represent Surrey's best two days of Championship cricket this season. And it couldn't have come at a better time. Surrey closed day three on 362 for 6, a lead of 67 over Sussex with three fascinating sessions of cricket left to play.
The day began with Rory Burns and Arun Harinath resuming and tasked with surviving the new ball onslaught from Anyon and Magoffin. They did so superbly, and although neither kicked on today I cannot praise this pair highly enough. They recorded their second 50 partnership in the last three innings and although they both had their fair share of luck, they toughed it out excellently. Harinath was the first to go as he edged a Chris Jordan delivery that he probably could've left into Ed Joyce's hands at slip. Although Burns and the new man Solanki put on a good 40 partnership, Burns fell within sight of lunch for 36. We've lost wickets on the stroke of breaks in play so many times this season, its frustrating because it gives the opposition a lift at precisely the wrong moment.
After the lunch break Solanki and Ponting emerged and looked to build on the solid 102-2 platform laid. However Ponting registered his first failure for Surrey as he edged a Steve Magoffin delivery into Jordan's hands at slip. The ex-Surrey man had had a hand in all three of the wickets to fall.
With an out of form Zander de Bruyn to come and a Solanki who has rarely looked out of form but has equally rarely kicked on to big scores at the crease, there may have been some nerves around. There needn't have been as the pair compiled a superb 177 run partnership to put Surrey well on top. Solanki was his usual silky self and while de Bruyn was hardly fluent, he stuck to his task brilliantly.
By the time they were parted Solanki had moved to a superb maiden Championship hundred for Surrey and we were within sight of a lead. After Solanki's departure - trying to loft Panesar only to find Prior at long on - Davies and Wilson also perished in the pursuit of quick runs.
I was disappointed that we didn't look to give Tremlett and Dernbach at least a few overs at the Sussex openers this evening but as the close approached, so too did de Bruyn's hundred. I hope one man's score is not a consideration in the context of this match and this season. Perhaps now Surrey are looking to pick up quick runs tomorrow morning to pile the pressure on Sussex. If we get a lead of 200+ by lunch all it'll take is a couple of quick wickets to put the frighteners on Sussex. Equally though a couple of quick Sussex wickets tomorrow and a win becomes all but impossible. Ultimately I think a few overs at them this evening would've been my preference, but I've never made a good captain.
At least we have a sniff of a win going into tomorrow, which is no mean feat against a very good side. This performance has been a vast improvement on previous efforts and if we hadn't lost a day to rain who knows what might have been. There probably isnt enough life in this pitch to bowl Sussex out very cheaply tomorrow, but you never know. All results are genuinely possible going into day four, and we haven't been able to say that too many times this season.
The day began with Rory Burns and Arun Harinath resuming and tasked with surviving the new ball onslaught from Anyon and Magoffin. They did so superbly, and although neither kicked on today I cannot praise this pair highly enough. They recorded their second 50 partnership in the last three innings and although they both had their fair share of luck, they toughed it out excellently. Harinath was the first to go as he edged a Chris Jordan delivery that he probably could've left into Ed Joyce's hands at slip. Although Burns and the new man Solanki put on a good 40 partnership, Burns fell within sight of lunch for 36. We've lost wickets on the stroke of breaks in play so many times this season, its frustrating because it gives the opposition a lift at precisely the wrong moment.
After the lunch break Solanki and Ponting emerged and looked to build on the solid 102-2 platform laid. However Ponting registered his first failure for Surrey as he edged a Steve Magoffin delivery into Jordan's hands at slip. The ex-Surrey man had had a hand in all three of the wickets to fall.
With an out of form Zander de Bruyn to come and a Solanki who has rarely looked out of form but has equally rarely kicked on to big scores at the crease, there may have been some nerves around. There needn't have been as the pair compiled a superb 177 run partnership to put Surrey well on top. Solanki was his usual silky self and while de Bruyn was hardly fluent, he stuck to his task brilliantly.
By the time they were parted Solanki had moved to a superb maiden Championship hundred for Surrey and we were within sight of a lead. After Solanki's departure - trying to loft Panesar only to find Prior at long on - Davies and Wilson also perished in the pursuit of quick runs.
I was disappointed that we didn't look to give Tremlett and Dernbach at least a few overs at the Sussex openers this evening but as the close approached, so too did de Bruyn's hundred. I hope one man's score is not a consideration in the context of this match and this season. Perhaps now Surrey are looking to pick up quick runs tomorrow morning to pile the pressure on Sussex. If we get a lead of 200+ by lunch all it'll take is a couple of quick wickets to put the frighteners on Sussex. Equally though a couple of quick Sussex wickets tomorrow and a win becomes all but impossible. Ultimately I think a few overs at them this evening would've been my preference, but I've never made a good captain.
At least we have a sniff of a win going into tomorrow, which is no mean feat against a very good side. This performance has been a vast improvement on previous efforts and if we hadn't lost a day to rain who knows what might have been. There probably isnt enough life in this pitch to bowl Sussex out very cheaply tomorrow, but you never know. All results are genuinely possible going into day four, and we haven't been able to say that too many times this season.
Thursday, 13 June 2013
Solid Surrey edge day one
Technically speaking its day two actually, but since the real day one was completely washed out this is now a three day Championship fixture. Today Surrey enjoyed one of their better days in the field this season, probably their best since bowling Middlesex out for 166 in early May. They closed the day one without loss, having to face four testing overs in the evening after bowling Sussex out for 295.
Time will tell of course just how well Surrey bowled today, but having won the toss in the morning it's always positive to be batting yourselves by the end of the day. Jon Lewis and Gary Keedy were the missing names in the XI as Chris Adams gave Zafar Ansari the spin burden to shoulder. With a bowling attack of Chris Tremlett, Jade Dernbach and Tim Linley to face, the Sussex openers won't have fancied batting too much early this morning after a rain shower delayed the start by 15 minutes.
The partnership didn't last long either as Luke Wells padded up to Jade Dernbach and was given leg before. He's averaged just 33 since that big double hundred against Surrey in April but nevertheless given his previous it was good to see the back of him early on. Chris Nash and Mike Yardy set about building the total and had put on 51 when Nash tamely chipped Tim Linley to cover with lunch approaching. It was a soft dismissal but no less deserved for Linley who's bowled far better than his haul of wickets this season indicated.
Surrey continued to chip away at Sussex and no partnership was allowed to get out of hand. Ed Joyce was caught and bowled by Linley before Yardy departed lbw to the bowling of Zander de Bruyn. There was a feeling of foreboding though as that brought to the crease the partnership of Luke Wright and Matt Prior, two fine and in form batsmen. But with the partnership on 29 Ansari took his first Championship wicket of the season as he had Prior caught at leg slip.
Ben Brown was bowled not long after but then came the recovery. Chris Jordan joined Luke Wright in a partnership of 59 to bring Sussex back into the game. When momentum seemed to be slipping away from Surrey again the second new ball gave them a new lease of life. The dangerous Wright was the first to go, caught at slip off Tremlett and Magoffin, Anyon and finally Jordan followed him in quick succession. The new ball had brought four wickets for 37 runs and we had not allowed a tail end to rack up the runs - something we are too often guilty of.
The wickets were shared round the bowlers which is exactly where we've been found wanting this season. Surrey had a tricky four over spell to negotiate in the evening sunshine, but in Harinath and Burns we have an opening partnership who value their wickets highly. The ball beat the bat several times and the Sussex bowlers bowled well from the word go, but no wickets fell.
With only two days remaining we will have to play some positive cricket if we want to get a result. If the openers can weather the new ball and lay a platform for Ponting and the rest of the middle order, we can still force something. Not that Sussex are going to give much away easily though. When the opening bowlers depart there's still Chris Jordan and Monty Panesar to negotiate - runs are not going to be easy to come by.
Time will tell of course just how well Surrey bowled today, but having won the toss in the morning it's always positive to be batting yourselves by the end of the day. Jon Lewis and Gary Keedy were the missing names in the XI as Chris Adams gave Zafar Ansari the spin burden to shoulder. With a bowling attack of Chris Tremlett, Jade Dernbach and Tim Linley to face, the Sussex openers won't have fancied batting too much early this morning after a rain shower delayed the start by 15 minutes.
The partnership didn't last long either as Luke Wells padded up to Jade Dernbach and was given leg before. He's averaged just 33 since that big double hundred against Surrey in April but nevertheless given his previous it was good to see the back of him early on. Chris Nash and Mike Yardy set about building the total and had put on 51 when Nash tamely chipped Tim Linley to cover with lunch approaching. It was a soft dismissal but no less deserved for Linley who's bowled far better than his haul of wickets this season indicated.
Surrey continued to chip away at Sussex and no partnership was allowed to get out of hand. Ed Joyce was caught and bowled by Linley before Yardy departed lbw to the bowling of Zander de Bruyn. There was a feeling of foreboding though as that brought to the crease the partnership of Luke Wright and Matt Prior, two fine and in form batsmen. But with the partnership on 29 Ansari took his first Championship wicket of the season as he had Prior caught at leg slip.
Ben Brown was bowled not long after but then came the recovery. Chris Jordan joined Luke Wright in a partnership of 59 to bring Sussex back into the game. When momentum seemed to be slipping away from Surrey again the second new ball gave them a new lease of life. The dangerous Wright was the first to go, caught at slip off Tremlett and Magoffin, Anyon and finally Jordan followed him in quick succession. The new ball had brought four wickets for 37 runs and we had not allowed a tail end to rack up the runs - something we are too often guilty of.
The wickets were shared round the bowlers which is exactly where we've been found wanting this season. Surrey had a tricky four over spell to negotiate in the evening sunshine, but in Harinath and Burns we have an opening partnership who value their wickets highly. The ball beat the bat several times and the Sussex bowlers bowled well from the word go, but no wickets fell.
With only two days remaining we will have to play some positive cricket if we want to get a result. If the openers can weather the new ball and lay a platform for Ponting and the rest of the middle order, we can still force something. Not that Sussex are going to give much away easily though. When the opening bowlers depart there's still Chris Jordan and Monty Panesar to negotiate - runs are not going to be easy to come by.
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