Somerset take advantage on rain hit Day 2

An awkward final session in which Surrey couldn’t get through unscathed, has meant that Somerset have taken control of the County Championship game at the Oval after a rain affected Day 2.

After bowling Somerset out for 384, Graeme Smith made just 2 in his first innings for his new club, as the home side slipped to 98-4 at the close, still trailing the West Country County by 286 runs.

Resuming on 344-8, it took all of an hour to remove the final 2 Somerset wickets. Jade Dernbach completed his 10^th First Class 5 wicket haul, when he deceived Alfonso Thomas with a trademark slower delivery. Stuart Meaker finished the job with his second wicket, with Kirby edging to give Smith his first catch for his new team in the slips. Somerset 384 all out, which could have been slightly less, but considering where they were at tea yesterday, we will take that.

Big anticipation filled the ground as Smith made his way out to the middle with bat in hand, but 10 minutes later he was walking off, after edging Trego to slip third ball. Many probably expected that he wouldn't fire from his first innings, but let’s hope he can find some form quicker than Rudolph last season. That wasn’t the final wicket of the morning session, as Harinath also edged to slip, this time off Alfonso Thomas, on what turned out to be the final ball before lunch for 5.

Burns and debutant Vikram Solanki had a job on their hands after the break, in which they consolidated well, with the latter unleashing some sumptuous shots to get his innings going. However, they were stopped in mid-flow when the heavens opened, and a torrential storm meant that 3 hours of the day were washed out.

They resumed at a quarter to 6 on 66-2, for a tricky 16 overs spell in which survival was the sole aim for the Surrey pair. They managed to make it through the first 30 minutes, but Jamie Overton made the vital breakthrough when Solanki looked to pull on 30, and played on. Not a shot that was needed in the circumstances. Zander de Bruyn was in and out in a flash, as he also played on for just 1, and Somerset were starting to seize control in the game, as we went to the close on 98-4.

So, those two wickets mean that it was definitely Somerset’s day today. And that is the fine margins in the game of cricket. At two down, we would have been happy, 3 then it would have been even, but 4 means that we are on the back foot. Burns has down well to get to the close on 43, and he looks as solid as he did towards the end of last season, but a big 3 figure score is needed if we are going to get near Somerset’s total. Solanki looked good until a stroke of misfortune, but with the aim to survive, maybe to pull shot wasn’t the wisest move, and most Surrey fans know that de Bruyn hasn’t been in the greatest form over the winter, which has carried over to the County season. Davies found some form in pre-season, as did the next man in Gary Wilson, but if they fail, a big innings deficit could be around the corner.