Surrey have finished day two of the LVCC Division 1 match against Sussex 250-8, a lead of 318, after bowling Sussex out for 196 this morning.
Surrey started the morning wanting to bowl the visitors out before lunch, and gain a substantial first innings lead. Chris Jordan gave them the perfect start, when, in the 3rd over, he got Brown caught by Ramprakash for 3. Jordan then followed that up in his next over, getting Naved Arif caught behind, without scoring. Meaker was then brought on, and removed Amjad Khan as he looked to work into the leg side, but a leading edge found Maynard at slip. Sussex 122-8, and Surrey looking at a lead of well over 100.
However, Gatting didn’t give up the ghost, and began to attack the Surrey bowlers, hitting 2 sixes off Batty. He found a willing partner in Jimmy Anyon, who frustrated the hosts, until Dernbach got him caught by Jordan, to pick up his 3rd wicket. Gatting still hadn’t given up, and went past his fifty, and built a partnership which could prove vital, with number 11 Lewis Hatchett. However, with the partnership on 29, Hatchett looked to pick up 2 off Dernbach, but was run out coming back for the second. Sussex 196 all out, a lead of 68 for Surrey.
Jordan once again opened with Rudolph, and they survived the tricky over before lunch, Surrey 2-0. After the break, Rudolph slowly began to find the middle of the bat, hitting 3 boundaries. However, on 21, he looked to cut Anyon, and could only find Gatting at point. Disappointing from Rudolph, but at least he looked in better touch than yesterday. Ramprakash joined Jordan and once again started slowly, but he could afford to, with the amount of time left in the game. However, on 9 he pushed a ball from Anyon to Amjad Khan, and chose to run when it wasn’t on, and was run out.
In the next over, Chris Jordan was stumped off Yardy and Surrey were 53-3. I think it is fair to say that Jordan hasn’t done enough to keep the openers spot, and Davies will come in for him next week. And Surrey were in all sorts of trouble, when de Bruyn drove at Anyon, and was caught by Yardy at slip for 1. RHB and Maynard needing a big partnership, with the lead just 123.
And a big partnership is just what they gave, with the pair sharing an unbeaten stand of 100 in the last 20 overs before tea. Hamilton- Brown was batting in typical fashion, hitting the bad balls for 4, as well as some good ones! He brought up his 50 off just 43 balls, and he and Maynard were taking Surrey out of trouble and in to a good position. RHB was dominating the stand, but Maynard’s innings shouldn’t be underestimated, as he also batted aggressively, and if he had gone, an end could have been opened up. Surrey reached tea on 155-4, a lead of 223.
The pair continued from where they left off after tea, finding the boundary with regular occurrence, with RHB striking his second maximum, this time off Anyon. Maynard was closing in on back to back half centuries, but before he could get there, Hamilton- Brown was caught well by Goodwin off Arif for 89. A fantastic innings from the captain, at an absolutely vital time in the game. The partnership was worth 136 between him and Maynard, taking Surrey to a lead of 259.
Rory Burns joined Maynard, and started confidently, striking 2 early boundaries. However, Maynard was bowled not long after for 47 by Anyon, and 2 balls later, Batty was caught at slip once again off Anyon, without scoring. Surrey 206-7, a lead of 274.
Surrey were then 8 down, when Burns was caught by Wells off Arif for 16. Surrey needing their tail to wag, with the lead of 278 possibly not being enough. Lewis and Meaker got together, and slowly began to build a partnership which could be as vital as RHB and Maynard’s. They managed to get the lead over 300, which could be important psychologically when Sussex’s second innings comes round.
Bad light led to an early close, with Surrey on 250-8, Lewis 13* and Meaker 16*.
A lead of 318 for Surrey to take into tomorrow, which could be enough for our first win in Division One since September 2007. However, its not over yet, as Sussex won’t give up easily, and there is also the possibility of rain on both Saturday and Sunday.
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