Wednesday, 5 September 2012

5 from Linley gives Surrey advantage



Surrey will be the happier of the two sides after Day Two of the LVCC Division One match against Nottinghamshire at the KIA Oval, after bowling out the visitors for 227, thanks to a 5-wicket haul from Tim Linley.

Stuart Meaker and Linley completed their first job this morning, by reaching 250 and therefore a second batting point, with an edged 4 through the slips from Meaker. They frustrated the visitors for 45 minutes, adding in total 38 for the final wicket, before Linley was bowled for 14. Surrey all out for 269.

Linley and Meaker opened the bowling, and the Viscount especially was wayward early on, with Hales taking advantage of some loose deliveries from Surrey’s leading wicket taker of 2011. Meaker was quicker to find his line and length, and picked up 2 early wickets. First he had Rikki Wessels trapped in front, before following that up by bowling Adam Voges with a superb delivery, which meant Meaker had picked up his 50th wicket in First Class cricket this season.

Linley gradually began to find his line and length, and he then had Hales caught sensationally by Roy at slip to reduce Notts to 41-3. With half an hour until lunch, it had already been a great session for us, but in the last over before the break, the Viscount picked up his second, when he had the key man James Taylor trapped LBW. Notts went in 4 down for 56.

The runs completely dried up after the interval, with just 4 coming off the first 8 overs of resumption. That pressure led to the next wicket, as Mullaney was given LBW off Kartik to give the Indian Spinner his first wicket. Surrey would have been hopeful of getting either Read or youngster Wood out quickly and get into the tail. However, that wasn’t to be, as they put together a partnership which got their side back into the game. Batty ringed the changes without much luck, as batting was looking far easier as the ball got older.  And as they went into tea at 144-5, the session certainly belonged to the visitors.

However, 15 minutes into the final session, Kartik made the breakthrough when he had the impressive Wood caught by Burns, shortly followed by Linley bowling Graeme White. The skipper Read was still there though, and he and former Somerset bowler Ben Phillips took our lead to under 100. Phillips was the next man out, when he was bowled by Kartik as he looked to pull, and after a frustrating little partnership, the new ball was taken and Linley picked up his 4th wicket, trapping Fletcher LBW.

After taking 15 off the first 4 balls of the last over of the day, Notts were then bowled out, when Linley had Gurney once again LBW, to give him his first 5 wicket haul of the season.

Overall, I feel that is another good day for us, but Batty and the rest of the guys would have been slightly disappointed that, after being 60-5, Notts have got so close to our score. However, a recovery is what you expect from a side of their quality, and the pitch wasn’t as difficult to play on as it was yesterday, so it was a good performance from our bowlers.

I’m especially happy for The Viscount, who has worked hard this season, but not been given the chances that last years performances warranted. After the countless fifers he claimed in the second division last year, he finally has one in the first division, and with the effort and desire he puts in, he deserves every bit of success he gets.

So the job tomorrow is to try and build a lead on top of the 42 we have already got, and reach a total which would all but secure our Division One status for next season. Easier said than done, but I believe in our guys. Come on the Rey!!

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