Solanki and de Bruyn dominate but draw on the cards

A first Championship hundred for Surrey from Vikram Solanki has put his side into the lead heading into the final day tomorrow, but a draw is very much on the cards.

Solanki struck a stylish 130 as Surrey closed on 362-6, a lead of 67, with Zander de Bruyn finding some form to end the day unbeaten on 99.

The first port of call this morning was to try and see off the new ball against the most potent attack in the country at the moment. There was nearly the worst possible start when Harinath set off for a single off the day’s first ball, then sent Burns back which left his partner stranded but the throw missed. Magoffin and Anyon hit their straps from ball one and repeatedly beat the outside edge of the left handed pair and it was the Aussie who created the first chance with the ball but Joyce couldn’t hold onto a chance at slip after Harinath nicked off.

We were definitely riding our luck, which to be honest has been long awaited, as Magoffin once again took an edge, this time Burns, but Yardy couldn’t hold on this time. However, despite all the luck of the first 20 minutes or so, Harinath couldn’t make them pay as just after the 50 partnership was brought up, as he edged Chris Jordan’s 9^th delivery to Joyce when on 23.

Jordan couldn’t be kept out of the game, because if it wasn’t his bowling it was his fielding, as 10 minutes before lunch he held onto a great catch at slip of Panesar to remove Burns for 36, but I would have thought Adams would have accepted 102-2 from the first session. But when Ponting went not long after the break for 13, with Jordan once again taking the catch this time off Magoffin, Sussex would have scented a chance.

However, Solanki was joined by de Bruyn and they made sure the hosts couldn’t get amongst the Surrey lower order as the put on a superb partnership in glorious batting conditions at the picturesque ground. De Bruyn struggled early on and rode his luck with a few edges flashing down to third man. Solanki was typically fluent though and brought up his half century as the first batting point was brought up and de Bruyn became more confident at the crease as his innings wore on, bringing up his half century just before the century partnership came up as we went to tea in a strong position at 231-3.

The tempo was then upped by Solanki in particular and he brought up his hundred with a stunning extra cover drive off Anyon for 4. It had come off 161 balls, but he wasn’t finished there as he was playing a shot a ball until he held out to Prior at long on off Panesar. Davies and Wilson both came and went for 10 as they looked to force the issue and those two wickets seemed to change the method for Surrey as de Bruyn and Ansari slowed down against the new ball.

It seemed as though there were enough overs for de Bruyn to complete his century but it wasn’t to be so he will have to come back tomorrow morning.

That was a very good day for us all in all, but once again it looks like we are going to pick up another draw, which isn’t really any good to us. Solanki was superb and another hour of him would have made the game more interesting, but that wasn’t to be. It’s great to see Zander hit some form finally, because he has had his critics (me included), but he has worked hard and hopefully it is paying off.

The only thing I can see happening is a draw, unless we can roll Sussex over for next to nothing, but the pitch still doesn’t seem to be playing that bad so that is highly unlikely.