Meaker's five gives Surrey advantage

Surrey will go into day three at Chelmsford in the LVCC Division 2 against Essex, with a lead of 166, with six wickets remaining.

Essex started the day 6-0, with Billy Godleman and Tom Westley at the crease. The pair batted sensibly in face of some tight bowling from Tim Linley and Zander de Bruyn and latterly, Stuart Meaker, on a pitch which showed yesterday, if you get in, you can get a good score. Despite all of the efforts of the bowlers, Surrey struggled to make a breakthrough and Godleman and Westley began to settle in to their innings.

As lunch approached, Surrey continued to struggle and when the clock hit 12:30, Essex went back to the pavilion 91-0. However, not long after lunch, Surrey did finally make the breakthrough when Godleman edged behind off Linley and the former Middlesex man went for 43. And after reaching 7, Owais Shah was bowled by Linley and Surrey were back on track.

Things got even better when Linley trapped Jaik Mickleburgh in front for 5, as he tried to leave a ball, 116-3, and Surrey in control.  And after reaching his fifty, Westley drove Linley, who could only find Jason Roy. A well made 57 from the Essex opener. And Pragyan Ojha had his first wicket of the match when Adam Wheater looked to whip the spinner into the leg side, but could only find a leading edge which found its way to Gareth Batty at mid off.

Ryan ten Doeschate joined James Foster in the middle and the pair began to rebuild the Essex innings with the Dutchman playing his useful aggressive self. However, with the score on 197, Meaker delivered a brute of a delivery which rose on Foster and brushed his glove on the way to Steven Davies. And Meaker backed that up when he had Graham Napier plum in front, without scoring. And Meaker had his 3^rd wicket when he got a ball to come back to David Masters, who didn’t offer a shot, and clipped the top of the off stump. 205-8 and Essex still a long way off Surrey’s 315.

And after playing a few more bludgeoning shots, ten Doeschate was Meaker’s 4^th victim when he was adjudged lbw. And Meaker had back to back fifer’s when he bowled Tymal Mills for 7. Essex 253 all out, a lead of 66 for Surrey.

But Surrey got off to the worst start when, with the score on 2, Davies drove David Masters and could only find ten Doeschate in the covers. Rory Hamilton- Brown then started off his innings in typical fashion but then he tried to cut a ball to close to him, and played on, for 23. Napier’s 7^th wicket of the match. And Surrey lost another wicket when Ramprakash was caught at leg slip off the bowling of David Masters for 11.

However, Zander de Bruyn and Tom Maynard got together and played at over a run a ball to try and knock the Essex bowler’s off their line and length. The partnership went past 50 and Surrey looked like they would be going into the third day 3 down, but that all changed. With what turned out to be the last ball of the day, Maynard was stuck on the back foot, and Masters had his third wicket, when the umpire rose the finger.

Surrey will be the happier of the two teams, but Essex will take optimism from the late wicket and will be looking to stop Surrey get a lead of 250+.