Season ends with Liverpool draw

After his century yesterday, Zander de Bruyn only hanged around for a further 25 minutes this morning, before Procter picked up the first of his 5 wickets today, getting the South African for 125. Batty was then out for 0, and after a rain break, Procter finished off the innings quickly, as he removed Jewell for a career best 70, before removing Tim Linley and Jon Lewis to finish with figures of 7-71.

After lunch, Surrey had an opportunity to give Tom Jewell and Matthew Dunn a bowl, as the game slowly made its way towards a draw. Batty rotated his bowlers, and they all kept it tight but failed to pick make a breakthrough. When Dunn came on, the runs started to flow more, as he looked rather rusty against two set batsman, going at 8 an over for his first few overs. However, it was Dunn who got the first wicket, when he bowled Luke Procter, just after the hundred partnership was brought up.

Jewell got the other wicket to fall, as he had Tom Smith caught by the skipper for a well made 43, as the teams shook hands at 4.30, with Lancs 142-2.

So a predictable end to the season, thanks largely to the weather, but there were a few good things that came out of the game. Zander de Bruyn has finally scored a hundred this season, and if he can produce his end of season form for us next year, it will be a big help. Tom Jewell batted extremely well, and bowled tidily, reinforcing the opinion that he should have been given more of a chance this season. The Burns-Ansari partnership is coming along nicely, even though Ansari hasn’t got a big score of late, with yet another 50+ score put on by the pair. I’m not totally convinced Zaf will make it as an opener, and feel that Harinath will eventually open with Burns.

Hopefully Adams wasn’t basing whether he will offer Dunn a contract or not on this performance, because I feel that would be unfair on the lad, but he hasn’t had a great year in the second X1, so anything could happen. Jon Lewis tailed off towards the end of the season, and I wonder if he will still be here next year, and the Viscount hasn’t played too many games after his great year in 2011, and there will no doubt be plenty interested in him if he becomes available, especially in Division 2.

Overall, it hasn’t been a great season for us, on and off the pitch. Obviously a very emotional season as well with the passing of Tom Maynard in June, but I believe our players will feel better after a winter break, and come back better next year.

de Bruyn century lights up Liverpool

Surrey have had a good day in the rain affected LVCC Division One match against Lancashire at Liverpool, with Zander de Bruyn top scoring with an unbeaten century, as we reached 322-5 at the close.

After the first 2 days were washed out, the sun finally came out at Liverpool, and Lancashire won the toss and stuck us in. George Edwards and Stuart Meaker were the 2 left out from the 13 man squad, which meant Matthew Dunn and Tom Jewell made their first appearance of the season.

Ansari and Burns started positively, with the former batting like he does so effectively in List A cricket, as the pair brought up another 50 opening partnership, inside 40 minutes. However, debutant Tom Bailey made the breakthrough, when he bowled Ansari for 23. Today was the perfect opportunity for Zaf to get a score and cement a place at the top of the order, but it wasn't to be. 

The runs then started to dry up as the hosts tightened they lines. Harinath and Burns stood firm through, and were taking us towards lunch, but 3 overs before the break, with the partnership on 51, Harinath was caught for 17. There was still time for Burns' 4th half century of the summer, and in the process becoming our leading scorer in the LVCC this season, as we went in on 109-2. 

It was slow going after the break, with the 3^rd 50 partnership of the innings, this time Burns with de Bruyn, brought up in almost 20 overs. Burns was looking solid at the crease, and was destined for a second Championship hundred, but it wasn’t to be as Tom Smith made him edge behind on 73. Jason Roy came and went for 13, before the out of form Davies went 2 balls later for a duck, as we suddenly found ourselves 5 down for 178.

de Bruyn was joined by Tom Jewell, and the pair had to rebuild the innings, with a rather long tail behind them. They took us to tea on 190-5, de Bruyn unbeaten on a pedestrian 40. They continued their good job after the interval, as the 4^th half century partnership was brought up shortly after resumption, with de Bruyn providing a large chunk of the contribution.

The South African passed his half century, and regained the lead as our leading LVCC scorer, continuing with his fine form at the end of the season, with all Surrey fans wondering where this Zander de Bruyn has been for the last 5 months. Jewell began to look more comfortable at the crease, as he found the boundary for the first time off his 83^rd delivery. The hundred partnership between the pair was brought up almost simultaneously with de Bruyn heading into the 90’s for only the second time this season.

But this time he managed to convert into 3 figures, something he did 4 times last season, coming off 220 balls with 6 fours and two sixes off Simon Kerrigan. That was quickly followed by Tom Jewell’s second First Class half century, his milestone coming off 115 balls with 4 boundaries. They took us to the close on 324-5, an unbeaten partnership of 146.

Obviously there is no chance of victory in what is now a 2 day match, but it is always good to send off on a high at the end of the season. It’s great that de Bruyn has found some form, and hopefully he will take that into the Winter with his side in South Africa, and come back for the final year in his contract next year. A couple of weeks ago I would have let him go, but the way he batted against Notts last week was so vital, and with RHB looking like he is going to leave, we need all the batting we can get.

It’s great to see Jewell take his chance with the bat, and hopefully he and Dunn can prove themselves with the ball tomorrow. Burns is looking increasingly good at the top of the order, and hopefully will fulfil that role for years to come.

On the topic of RHB, it will be disappointing to see him go, but if he feels it is right for him to do so, then I understand his decision. But Adams has some serious acquisitions to complete in the Winter months. However, I’ll come across that when, or if, it is made official.

Tomorrow is all about finishing off the season well, and for the people whose contract is up, a small opportunity to prove what they can do. Good luck Matt and Tom.

Adams bloods youngsters for 2012 Finale

Chris Adams has named a 13 man squad for the final game of the 2012, the LVCC Division One match against Lancashire at Liverpool.

Young seamers Matthew Dunn and Tom Jewell  are in line for their first appearance of the season, as they look to earn a contract for 2013. It was thought that the pair were going to be released at end of the season, but maybe Adams has had a rethink and is willing to give them a chance. 

One bowler that looks like he won't be here next season is Chris Jordan, who hasn't been named in the squad and with his contract running out at the end of this year, he looks like he will be off.

KP and Murali Kartik have both been rested from this game, and for different reasons, the game against Notts last week may have been their last for the club, but in the case of KP, let's hope that's not true. With his international future not decided, it isn't certain whether he will be at the Oval next season, as we will have to pay his wages if he isn't given a central contract. 

Steve Davies will come back into the starting X1 after being dropped last week and being ill the week before, as Gary Wilson is preparing for the ICC World Twenty 20 with Ireland. Ansari and Burns will be given another chance at the top of the order, with Harinath trying to cement his position in the side, whether it will be at 3, or opening at the start of next season. 

Other seam bowlers in the side include leading wicket taker Stuart Meaker, Jon Lewis, Tim Linley and youngster George Edwards. If I was Adams, I would feel that this is the perfect opportunity to give all the youngsters a go, so I would leave out Lewis and Meaker, and play Dunn and Edwards, with the Viscount, and bat Jewell at 7, as he is a handy batsman. 

After securing our Division One status last Friday, this game doesn't have much riding on it, but 6th place is still a possibility, and the youngsters will certainly be looking to impress. 

It's been an extremely tough season for us, but it is coming to an end this week, and even though it will be sad to see it go, our players deserve and need a break after all they have gone through. Good luck this week lads. 

Surrey Squad:

Gareth Batty (C)

Rory Burns

Zafar Ansari

Arun Harinath

Zander de Bruyn

Jason Roy

Steve Davies (WK)

Tom Jewell

Stuart Meaker

Jon Lewis

George Edwards

Tim Linley

Matt Dunn

Surrey win to secure Division One status

Surrey have emphatically beaten Nottinghamshire by 185 runs in the LVCC Division One match at the KIA Oval, and have secured their place in the top flight for the 2013 season.

Surrey started the morning in perfect fashion, when in the first over of the day, Tim Linley had nightwatchman Harry Gurney caught by Pietersen without scoring. Our bowlers would have known that there was still a lot of work to do if they were going to win this game, but stopping the nightwatchman hanging around for an annoying period would have been an essential. Neil Edwards, in for Alex Hales, and the dangerous Rikki Wessels, consolidated throughout the early part of the morning session, as Batty brought  himself and Kartik on early.

And it was the skipper who made the breakthrough, when he had Wessels LBW, just over an hour into the day’s play. That brought the Australian Adam Voges to the crease, and it was obvious that he came out to the middle with one mindset: to try and bat all day. It was a painstakingly slow innings from the overseas batsman, but with victory for the visitors out of the equation, that’s all he had to do. However, for the last over before lunch, Batty brought on KP, and on his 5^th delivery he had Voges caught by de Bruyn, as Notts went in 3 down for 66.

Pietersen continued after the break, but it was Batty who got the first wicket after resumption, when caught James Taylor on the crease and had him LBW. In the very next over, Pietersen got one to bounce on opener Edwards, who could only edge behind to Gary Wilson, as Notts fell to 75-5.

Mullaney and the in- form Chris Read were at the crease, and they started to put on a partnership as they tried to save the game for their side. However, Batty brought Kartik back into the attack, and he had Read caught by Ansari, to give the Indian spinner his first wicket of the innings. It was the skipper who picked up the next one, when he had Sam Wood LBW just before half past two.

Notts last recognised batsman Steven Mullaney was the next man out, when Meaker had trapped him in front, and Surrey were edging close to victory. Ben Phillips came out and played some shots, but lost his partner, White, when he played on to give Batty a 4^th wicket. At almost the same time, Middlesex declared at Lord’s to give Lancashire a target of 304 to win from 39 overs. But Surrey still had a job to do, which Murali Kartik completed quickly, when he had Fletcher LBW, and we had won by 195 runs.

A superb effort by our guys, but across the river, there was still a game on, as Lancs looked to chase down the runs required in order to stay up. They started well, but an inspired spell from Steven Crook stopped the flow of runs dramatically, and Lancashire were beaten, and we were safe.

Everyone played a part in this game, whether it be the openers, the middle order, or the tail enders, they were all brilliant. Burns looks a fine prospect at the top of the order, Jason Roy added much needed impetus to the innings, and Zander de bruyn and Gary Wilson were outstanding. The two partnerships they put on were so vital, as, if one of them had got out, they would have been into our tail, and our chances of victory would have slimmed down considerably.

As they have down all season, the bowlers were excellent. Meaker with his trademark spell in the first innings, followed up by a five wicket haul for the Viscount. Murali Kartik once again played a big role with the ball, but the stand out man in the second innings was without doubt Gareth Batty. This man may not be the greatest spin bowler ever, but I haven’t seen a cricketer put in more effort, commitment and desire to this cricket club for a long time. He took over the role of captaincy after an extremely difficult spell for Surrey County Cricket Club, but he has done a monumental job skippering the team, as well as with the ball.

Finally, I would like to say what a great achievement it is for us to stay up in this Division. We have had an extremely difficult season, with events than no one could have predicted, but we have managed to get the two wins that Chris Adams targeted from our final 4 games. The performance against Notts over the last few days was by far our best of the season. Ok, conditions suited our spinners, but we still had to perform, and we certainly did that.

There was disappointing news today that both Tom Lancefield and, more significantly, Matthew Spriegel won’t be at our club for next year. It’s sad to see 2 home-grown talents leaving, for various reasons, but our club will move on and fight for honours next season.

We have the one remaining game left now, and that is against the now relegated Lancashire. We can still finish in 6^th place above Durham if results go our way, but I think Lancs will want to go down fighting.

Well done lads, you put in a performance that Tom and all us supporters are proud of. Come on the REY!!

Spriegel signs for Northants

It’s a sad day today, as Surrey have announced that all rounder Matthew Spriegel will be leaving and has signed for Northamptonshire from the start of the 2013 season.

Spriegel has been at Surrey since he was 8 years old, and it is obvious from his interview on Surrey TV that we as a club will always remain in his heart. After making his Championship debut for Surrey against Somerset at his home ground Whitgift School in 2008, he made a total of 1093 runs in 29 matches, taking 13 wickets. However, it is felt by many that he didn’t really take his chance when given to him in the longer form of the game, even though his batting style suited it.

However, he will be most remembered for his performances in List A cricket, whereby he became one of the first names on the teamsheet, especially in the CB40, where his bowling and batting were more consistent than any other player in the side. In limited overs cricket he scored 1803 runs and took 66 wickets, with an average closing in on 40 in List A cricket, which alone show how valuable he was to the side. The form he showed in this form made many question why he wasn’t being selected in the LVCC side, especially with the woes of our batsman this season, but just 2 appearances in the last two years shows why he wanted to try a different experience.

With Ramps retired, Zander de Bruyn likely to be leaving, Ansari away at Uni and RHB possibly going to Somerset, I would have thought that there would have been more opportunities for Spriegs next season in the LVCC, but Adams obviously couldn’t assure him of that, and Northants have told him he will play in all forms.

If that was the case, I am disappointed in Adams, because I would have done anything I could to keep him at Surrey. The amount of times Spriegs has saved us in One Day games is countless, with the game at Guildford this year a prime example, as without him, we may have not made 50. His off spin was so underrated, as he isn’t someone who picks up bucketloads of wickets, but 9 times out of 10 he keeps things tight, applying pressure, with the bowlers from the other end taking advantage of his good work.

His finest moment will be the CB40 Final of 2011, where after bowling a tight spell in the Somerset innings, he saw Surrey home by striking the winning runs with a thick edge down to third man. However, that will be no more, as he and Surrey have parted ways. It will be incredibly difficult for Surrey to replace him, as there aren’t many cricketers with the temperament, as well as skill, that he possesses.

I would finally like to thanks Spriegs for all of the happy memories he has given us over the last few years, and that moment where he hit the winning runs at Lord’s last year will stick in the memory forever. Good luck with your future Spriegs, and you are always welcome back at the Oval.

Wilson and de Bruyn put Surrey in charge

Surrey are in a good position heading into the final day of the LVCC Division One match against Nottinghamshire at the KIA Oval, after setting the hosts a total of 347 for victory, thanks largely to half centuries from Gary Wilson and Zander de Bruyn.
We started the morning with a lead of 42, and once again Burns and Ansari opened up. However, Ansari's lean spell at the top of the order continued, as he was caught behind for 4 in the 4th over.

Harinath joined Burns in the middle, looking to replicate there 200 partnership they put on in the last home game against Middlesex. However, with the partnership on 40, Harinath was bowled by Graeme White. And after putting on a further 23 with KP, Burns was out in similar fashion for 44, as we went in at lunch on 83-3, leading by 125 runs.

Surrey would have placed a lot of faith in Pietersen taking them to a large enough lead to defend. But, in the 3rd over after the break, White had his 3rd, when he had Pietersen caught for 22. A poor shot from Pietersen, skying it to Phillips at long off, seemingly giving his wicket away. That brought Jason Roy to the crease, and he played a counter punch innings, similar to many innings we have seen from the South African born right hander over the last couple of seasons.

He and de Bruyn took our lead up and above 200, before Roy was caught by Voges for 41 to give Sam Wood his 1^st First Class wicket. De Bruyn was playing well, alongside Irish wicket keeper Gary Wilson, who were taking us to tea in a good position. Before the interval though, there was time for de Bruyn to pick up his 5^th half century of the season, and the first time he has passed that mark in successive innings. At tea, we were 193-5, leading by 235.

Wilson started to accelerate after the break, finding the gaps in a now spread outfield, and the pair brought up the 50 partnership, backing up their 100+ stand in the first innings. The lead continued to increase, passing the 250 mark 45 minutes after tea, as we began to try and bat the visitors out of the game. Wilson brought up his second 50 of the match, as he really started to show why Adams chose him ahead of the normally premier ‘keeper, Steve Davies.

However, with the new ball just around the corner, and as he had done in the first innings, de Bruyn got out LBW to White in the 70’s. 78 to be exact. It’s great that Zander has finally found some form (even if it is the penultimate game of the season!), but he will be disappointed not to have converted at least one of the scores to complete what would be a first century of the season, and the timing of the dismissals would also have frustrated him (and Adams).

Once again similarly to the first innings, a couple of overs after de Bruyn’s dismissal, Wilson was out for 57, with Wood picking up his second wicket. A massively vital knock from Wilson, because if he got out early, Notts would have fancied their chances of restricting the lead to below 250. The lead had reached 310, before Meaker was caught behind for 1 to leave us 8 down.

Batty and Kartik put on what could be a vital 9th wicket partnership of 30, as we were bowled out for 304. Nightwatchman Harry Gurney batted out the one remaining over tonight, opening up with Neil Edwards, who has come in for England bound Alex Hales.

Another good day for us, and on a pitch that seems to be spinning (with 7 wickets going to White and Wood), we have a very good chance of victory. Kartik and Batty will be eager to get a bowl on this pitch, and will be hoping to get as much success as they did against Middlesex a couple of weeks ago.

A win would secure a place for us in Division One for next season, as it looks unlikely that Lancashire will beat Middlesex. However, a defeat would leave everything in the balance heading into the final game at Liverpool next week. Good luck lads!

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 50^th 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 4^th 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!!

de Bruyn and Wilson lead Day 1 fightback

Half centuries from Zander de Bruyn and Gary Wilson have led a fightback on Day One of the LVCC Division One match between Surrey and Nottinghamshire at the KIA Oval.

Gareth Batty won the toss and once again elected to bat. There was one change from the side that drew with Somerset last week, and that was Tim Linley coming in for Jon Lewis. That meant that Gary Wilson kept his place behind the stumps ahead of the returning Steve Davies.

Burns and Ansari struggled early on, and it was the latter who was out first, when on 3 he edged Phillips to Mullaney. Burns began to look more fluent at the crease, until he was caught off Gurney for 23 to reduce us to 30-2. That brought the centurions from last week, Arun Harinath and Kevin Pietersen. together at the crease, but they weren’t together long, as Harinath was bowled to give Gurney a second wicket.

As it had done in recent games, the KIA Oval strip was giving assistance to the seam bowlers, and the man who seems to have got hatfuls of wickets against us this year, Gurney, picked up his 3^rd having the dangerous Pietersen caught behind for 15. de Bruyn and Roy had a job on their hands to rebuild the innings, batting out the 7 remaining overs to take us to lunch on 72-4.

Straight after the break though, Roy was bowled as he looked to pull the left arm spinner Graeme White for 20. A poor shot from Roy in the circumstances, especially as he had got himself set at the crease. It was slow going from then onwards, with de Bruyn and Wilson needing to take time to rebuild the innings. They brought up the first 50 partnership of the match inside 23 overs, as the run rate hovered around 2.5 an over.

When Wilson began to up the rate slightly against the spin of White and Sam Wood, Gurney returned to the attack, and the runs stymied as the pair took us to tea on 155-5. Shortly after the break the hundred partnership was brought up, as the pair both went past their half centuries; de Bruyn first with his 4^th of the season, followed by Wilson’s first of the campaign.

However, with the partnership on 123 off 48.4 overs, de Bruyn was trapped in front by White for 71. A valuable innings from the South African, but it was just the wrong time to get out, as the new ball was taken two balls later. And it did the trick in just its second over, when Fletcher had the impressive Wilson LBW for 68, and the visitors were into the tail. A priceless knock from Wilson, who has proven why Adams showed faith in him ahead of the out of form Davies.

The skipper’s lean season with the bat continued as he was caught behind for 8, and was quickly followed by Kartik without scoring. Meaker and Linley batted out the remaining overs of the day, to go to stumps on 242-9.

I think after we won the toss and elected to bat first, Chris Read and his team would be the slightly happier side at the end of the day, but after being 52-4 at one stage, Gareth Batty won’t be too disappointed. Also, if the pitch is similar to the one we played Middlesex on a few weeks ago, we may have already got a decent score and Batty just didn’t want to bat last on a deteriorating pitch.

A couple of the batsman will be annoyed with the way they got out, especially Jason Roy playing a poor pull shot, but Wilson and de Bruyn can go away happy this evening, after they dug in and put on a potentially match saving partnership. I’m especially happy for de Bruyn, who has worked so hard to regain form, and time in the middle is just what he needed. I’m also delighted for Wilson, who was by far our best batsman in the T20, and it is good to see he has taken his chance in the last couple of games.

Tomorrow morning we will be hoping to get the further 8 runs for a second batting point, before getting amongst the visitors batsman, and trying to gain a first innings lead.

Squad named for final home game of 2012

Chris Adams has named a 14 man squad for the final home game of the season; the LVCC Division One match against Nottinghamshire at the Kia Oval.

Once again Kevin Pietersen has been named in the squad, off the back of his century and half century in the draw at Taunton last week, and his quality and experience is proving pivotal in the relegation dogfight.  He has now scored 100 more runs than Zander de Bruyn in the Championship this season, and is our 3^rd leading run scorer behind Rory Hamilton-Brown and Jason Roy.

Another player who KP has more runs than is Steve Davies, who has been named in the squad alongside Gary Wilson, but will presumably replace the Irishman in the starting X1 after being ill for the Somerset game last week. Rory Burns and Zafar Ansari will once again open the batting for us, after the pair completed the first hundred opening partnership of the season last week, which was the third time the pair had put on at least 50. However, I’m not totally convinced that Zaf is an opener, and feel he may prosper better down the order in the future.

A man who could open with Burns in the future is Arun Harinath, who after completing back to back hundreds last week, has surely secured a contract for next season, and with Ansari away at University at the start of next season, he could fit into the second vacant opening slot in the Championship.

The man who seems to be in most LVCC squads, Chris Jordan, has been named in the 14, but will presumably not play, with Lewis and Meaker the two seamers likely to be picked in the final X1, ahead of Linley and the West Indian. However, if Jordan does get picked, it is very much last chance saloon for him at our club, as his contract is up at the end of the year and after an indifferent season, it is unlikely to be renewed. But if he does get a chance, everyone at Surrey will be hoping he can rediscover the form of 2007, and the back end of 2011 in our promotion push.

Murali Kartik and Gareth Batty will once again be named in the team as after the Middlesex win a couple of weeks ago, the pitch will be prepared to suit spinners, and with Nottinghamshire having just the one recognised spinner in Graeme White, we will be looking to use our qualities to our advantage.

Chris Adams set us a target of 2 wins from our final 4 games, and with the win over Middlesex, we require just the one victory to all but confirm our status in this Division for next season. That is easier said than done though, as Notts are still mathematically in the title race, and will no doubt be trying all they can to gain maximum points from this game.

If we slip up and lose this game, and Lancashire beat the inconsistent Middlesex, the final game of the season at Liverpool will become one of the most vital games in recent years for our club. However, Adams has said that our players are “determined to produce their best cricket” this week, and let’s hope they can do that. Good luck lads, and Come on the Rey!!

Surrey Squad:

Gareth Batty (C)

Rory Burns

Zafar Ansari

Arun Harinath

Kevin Pietersen

Zander de Bruyn

Jason Roy

Steve Davies

Gary Wilson

Murali Kartik

Jon Lewis

Stuart Meaker

Chris Jordan

Tim Linley

Harinath sparkles in Taunton draw

The LVCC Division One match between Somerset and Surrey at Taunton has ended in a draw, with Arun Harinath striking his second century in as many matches.

Rory Burns and Zafar Ansari continue from where they left off last night, with Burns the aggressor of the two. He went to his 3rd Championship half century of the season off almost exactly 100 balls, and the left handed pair took their side to our first 100 opening stand this year.

However, Burns didn't last much longer as he was removed by Dockrell for 60. That wicket slowed the run rate down considerably, showing that Surrey seemed to be happy with a draw in this game. Ansari was struggling to score, and he was the next man out for 39, caught off Mahmood. 

That brought KP to the crease, who started from where he left off on Tuesday, hitting Dockrell for 3 fours inside his first 12 deliveries. There was still enough time for him to hit a trademark six before lunch, in which Surrey went into with a lead of 176, and a draw looking increasingly likely. 

However, Somerset opened up with Hildreth and Jones after the break, suggesting that the teams had come to an agreement. However, after a couple of big overs, Pietersen was caught at just the wrong time for a 40 ball 58, to give Jones his 1st First Class wicket. And with that wicket, Somerset brought back their proper bowlers, showing that giving the likes of Jones a bowl may have just been a tactic to get KP out, rather than set up a match.

And with de Bruyn in ahead of Roy, that certainly seemed the case. But Roy was in not long after though, when de Bruyn was caught for 18, as the lead passed 250. Even the introduction of Roy to the crease, despite one big six, the rate didn't really raise as the game edged towards a draw.

Harinath brought up his half century shortly after Roy came in, and after his century against Middlesex a couple of weeks ago, he really is trying hard to earn a contract for next year. Roy failed to capitalise on the opportunity of finding some form though, as he was bowled by Mahmood for 28. 

It was now over to Gary Wilson to try and guide Harinath to back to back centuries, and he did so, as the Pemberton Greenish Academy graduate took 2 off Peter Trego. Hands were shook not long after with Surrey 360-5, with 9 points for us coming out of this game. 

So after the first days play, it is dissapointing that we couldn't win the game, but the weather put paid to that. Lots of good contributions in te game, Meaker with 4 wickets, KP with a brilliant hundred and half century and a hundred for Arun Harinath, who has surely earned a contract for next season, and a place in the side for a while now. 

The main issue that will be talked about with this game is the run out of Alex Barrow. I still believe that Kartik did the right thing, and that was backed up today by the likes of Atherton, Lloyd and Holding. 

Our next game is the penultimate of the season, as Notts travel to the Kia Oval. With Notts still mathematically in the title race, they won't be a pushover, which means the final game at Liverpool will be oh so vital for us to stay in this division. 

KP fires on Day One at Taunton

Surrey will be the happier of the two sides after Day One of the LVCC Division One match against Somerset at Taunton, thanks largely to a brilliant hundred from Kevin Pietersen, and a good opening spell from Jon Lewis and Stuart Meaker.

On a bright sunny morning in Taunton, Gareth Batty won the toss and elected to bat on what is historically one of the best tracks to bat on in the county circuit. There were a few changes from the win over Middlesex, with Rory Hamilton-Brown and Tim Linley dropped, Jade Dernbach away with England, and Steve Davies unwell. That meant a first Championship game of the summer for Gary Wilson, as well as Jon Lewis, leading wicket taker Stuart Meaker and Kevin Pietersen coming in.

Ansari and Burns once again opened but the former continued with his run of low scores in this format when Kirby trapped him in front for 3. Even though he played that match saving innings against Warwickshire, I’m not totally convinced Zaf is an opener, and will eventually bat at 5 or 6 in the order.

It was tough for the batsman early on, as Harinath and Burns were batting together for the first time in the First team since their record partnership nearly 2 weeks ago. However, they couldn’t repeat that today, as after a couple of wayward overs, on-loan Saj Mahmood bowled Burns for 23 and after taking us towards lunch with KP, Harinath was undone by Dockrell for 21, as the hosts would have been the happier of the teams with us 84-3 at the break.

Pietersen started positively after the break, and alongside de Bruyn, began to take Surrey up towards a decent score, laying a platform for the lower order. However, in the space of 6 balls, Kirby picked up two wickets, first getting de Bruyn caught behind for 34, ending the 91 run partnership, and then having Roy without scoring in similar fashion, and the hosts were back in the box seat.

However, with KP still at the crease, we still had a chance of posting a reasonable score. He was batting at his fluent best, and went to a sublime hundred with a boundary off Thomas, his second consecutive hundred in the Championship, and he really is showing what England are missing. He and Wilson took us to tea 5 down, closing in on a 2^nd batting point.

That point was swiftly brought up after the interval, but KP quickly began to lose partners at the other end. Wilson was stumped for 27, before Batty, Meaker and Lewis fell in the space of a few overs. He brought up his 150 with a six off Dockrell, which had come off just 152 balls. The last wicket pair of KP and Kartik managed to take us to a 3^rd batting point, when the Indian spinner hit Dockrell for a 6 and a 4 off successive deliveries. It was the first time we had got to 3 bonus batting points since Guildford, where KP was also playing.

After another maximum from Kartik, Pietersen’s outstanding innings was finally ended when he edged behind on 163 to give Mahmood his 4^th wicket. Surrey all out for 317, a score we would have got nowhere near if it wasnt't for KP.

The hosts had 14 overs to bat out this evening, and off just the 4^th delivery, Lewis had Suppiah caught behind. Meaker then had Trescothick when he top edged a pull up in the air, and Meaker took the catch off his own bowling. Somerset finished the day on 42-2, with Jones and Hildreth at the crease.

So a great opening day for us then, after winning the toss and batting first, Batty will be happy that we have got over 300, but it is disappointing that none of the other batsman could make a sizeable contribution. KP was once again quite brilliant for us, taking his seasons average in the LVCC to 159, at a strike rate of just under 100. His innings today contained 3 maximums and 20 fours, and he has now scored 60 more runs than de Bruyn in this competition, in a remarkable 19 less innings.

Tomorrow we will be looking to pick up some early wickets and continue from where we left off tonight, on a pitch that did give some assistance to the quicker bowlers today, and try and gain a first innings lead.

Dogged Ansari leads Surrey to draw

An unbeaten 83 from Zafar Ansari has lead Surrey to a draw on Day 4 of the LVCC Division One match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

Play didn’t start until 11.45 due to a rain shower, and after surviving 18 overs last night, Burns and Ansari started slowly, but comfortably going past their 2^nd 50 partnership in just 4 innings. Burns was looking the better of the two, finding the boundary on a few occasions with some beautiful drives. However, 20 minutes before the break, Warwickshire made the breakthrough when Burns looked to defend a Rankin ball, but it went into the ground and back onto the stumps. Unlucky for Burns, falling 8 short of 3 consecutive half centuries, but showing increased promise at the top of the order.

Rankin was making batting look difficult, bowling short to Harinath and Ansari, and had them in trouble a couple of times before lunch, in which the pair safely negotiated to go in on 83-1.

Straight after the break though, Surrey lost Harinath without scoring. A blow for Surrey as Harinath has a reputation to dig in, and personally he will be disappointed that he couldn’t make a contribution. After a couple of short rain breaks, de Bruyn was the next man to go when he played an inexcusable shot. Jeetan Patel lobbed up a full toss, in which he swept straight down the throat of deep midwicket. Not what was required in the situation, as de Bruyn continues his poor form this season.

Roy joined Ansari, and batting was looking increasingly difficult as runs were hard to come by, and the hosts put down a variety of chances around the bat off the bowling of Jeetan Patel. Ansari picked up his first Championship half century for Surrey when he flicked Clarke down to fine leg for four. It had come off 170 balls, and had been a fine effort. He went past his previous best First Class score of 59 before the tea break, in which they went in on 140-3, still with a minimum of 28 overs remaining in the day.

Batting began to look slightly easier after the break, as the Warwickshire bowlers worked hard without success, as Roy was playing as he never had before, with his strike rate down at 20 throughout the early part of his innings. He and Ansari were taking Surrey towards the draw, and took their side into the final hour, in which they had to stave off the second new ball.

At 25 past 5, the players shook hands, with Surrey on 202-3, and the batsman had done their job. Not many Surrey fans would have thought we would have got through today, but we did and it was a fantastic effort, in particular from Zaf. He finished unbeaten on 83, off a massive 257 balls, which shows that he has grit and determination in abundance. And a quick word for Roy, who played out of his comfort zone today, and supported Zafar brilliantly, ending on 42* of 101.

After being out of the game after the second day, a draw is all we could have hoped for, and it was a fine effort from the batsman. It may just be an extra 3 points with the draw, but they could all be important come the end of the season, and today will also give our side some much needed confidence. The batting has been poor of late, and some players are still nowhere near their best form, but it’s good to see youngsters such as Burns, Ansari and Roy impressing, all of which have big futures at the club.

So still only the one win this season, but we have moved above Lancashire into 6^th place in the table, which would give our players a big psychological boost. We now travel to Trent Bridge for the floodlit CB40 clash against Notts Outlaws on Wednesday, before the massive LVCC game against Durham at the Emirates ICG next Tuesday.

Bears closing in on victory

Warwickshire are in pole position after Day three of the LVCC Division One match against Surrey at Edgbaston, after bowling the visitors out for 286 and enforcing the follow on.

After their 83 run partnership yesterday, Harinath and Burns were split up as the former edged behind without adding to his overnight score. A good innings from Arun, but it was disappointing that he went so early this morning.

De Bruyn and Roy barely troubled the scorers either side of a rain break, as Burns was losing partners at the other end. After lunch, Davies was the first man to go, for just 13, and Surrey were 6 down when Burns was caught behind for 77. A great innings from the young keeper, who is increasingly showing his credentials, as he became the first Surrey batsman to hit consecutive half centuries in the LVCC this season.

After bowling erratically, Jordan didn’t do much to impress with the bat, as he was trapped in front for 15. Batty and Meaker put on a good partnership for the 8th wicket to make sure we got one batting point, as they went to the tea interval on 224-7, trailing by 347. 

Straight after the break though, the skipper was out LBW to Barker for 28. Even though his bowling has gone downhill, Lewis batted as well as he has done this season, putting on a partnership to take us to a second batting point. 

But Meaker went on 41 to give Rikki Clarke a 4th wicket. Good stuff from Meaker though, showing much more grit and determination than some upper order batsman. After Lewis and Kartik took part in some late order hitting, the Indian spinner was caught in the gully, and Surrey had been bowled out for 286, 285 behind the hosts first innings score. Apart from Burns and a couple of the lower order, no real fight from the batsman, which is extremely disappointing to see.

Unsurprisingly the follow on was enforced, and Burns and Ansari had to try and survive 18 overs. They did so, finishing on 38-0, to give us some chance of forcing a draw tomorrow.

To be honest, it is a very slim chance however, as we have a host of batsman either out of form or too inexperienced to stick it out in a situation like this. de Bruyn and Davies haven’t been anywhere near their best form all season, and they’re are most senior batsman at the moment. Jason Roy lacks consistency, and Burns, Harinath and Ansari only have a small amount of First Class games between them.

So overall, it doesn’t look good does it? We have a tough task to come out of the game with a draw, and an even stiffer task to stay in this division next season. Durham have finally won their first game of the season today, when they skittled out Middlesex. The one time you want Middlesex to win and they don’t. If we do manage to come out with a draw, then it would give us some much needed confidence for the massively vital game at Chester-le-Street in a couple of weeks time.

Hosts in control but Surrey stand firm

Warwickshire are in control after Day 2 of the LVCC Division One match against Surrey at Edgbaston after scoring 571, but Surrey have stood firm ending the day on 109-1.

At the start of the day, the Surrey bowlers would have been looking to bowl out the hosts for less than 350, and bat before lunch. However, the Warwickshire pair of Troughton and Woakes had other ideas, as they batted extremely comfortably. They both went past personal milestones, with Woakes passing fifty and the skipper completing his second hundred in successive matches. Surrey finally made the breakthrough on what turned out to be the last ball before lunch, when Troughton was caught behind off Kartik. But it was certainly the host’s morning, as they went to the break 429-7.

In his first over after the break, Kartik picked up his 3^rd wicket of the innings when Barker was caught behind without scoring. However, Woakes was still there, and with New Zealander Jeetan Patel, they confirmed to everyone that there batting line up was very strong, and very deep. They put on the record 9^th wicket partnership for Warwickshire against Surrey, as Woakes completed his 6^th First Class hundred, and Jeetan Patel a quickfire half century.

With the partnership on 127, Patel was caught and bowled by Murali Kartik off a top edge, but with the score passing 550, Surrey had been well and truly batted out of the game. The innings finally came to an end when Boyd Rankin was run out, and 571 looked a formidable score. Kartik finished with 4 wickets and was the pick of the bowlers, but it was disappointing how much the last 4 wickets accumulated.  Another negative was the amount of extras we gave away, with a ridiculously large total of 60, including 10 no balls from Jordan.

Burns and Ansari opened yet again, and started well, but with the score on 29 Ansari was trapped in front by Woakes for 10. Once again a start for Zaf, where he looks comfortable at the crease, but then he gets out. He needs to start getting more meaningful scores, but I still don’t think that he is the answer to our opening problems.

Arun Harinath completed the triplet of Academy graduates at the top of the order, and he and Burns set about digging in for the final session of the day. They batted calmly and positively, with the 50 partnership coming up inside 17 overs. Burns went to his fifty with a single of Rankin. It had come off just 70 balls with 9 fours, and it was his second successive Championship half century.

They took us to the close on 109-1, with Harinath 6 short of his first 50 of the season. A very good unbeaten partnership of 83 between the two youngsters, who looked at ease at the crease even though Burns was dropped on the first ball of the innings. However, he has so far capitalized on that and Harinath has looked as good as he ever has in the first team, as he tries to earn a contract for next season.

We obviously can’t win the game, and with a follow on score of over 400, we have a tough task to save the game. However, if Burns and Harinath can kick on tomorrow morning, and if the other batsman can back them up, we would be hoping to get maximum batting points and try and avoid the follow on.

Honours even after Day One at Edgbaston

It’s honours even after Day One of the LVCC Division One match between Warwickshire and Surrey at Edgbaston, with the hosts reaching 322-6.

On a glorious summer’s morning in Birmingham, the hosts won the toss and had no hesitation in electing to bat first. Two changes were made from the draw at Trent Bridge, with Gareth Batty and Arun Harinath coming in for Tim Linley and the unlucky Matthew Spriegel. That meant Chris Jordan would once again get a chance to impress, and Jade Dernbach had been left out, probably because he’s not 100% fit yet.

The bowlers started well, in particular Stuart Meaker, who had a numerous amount of LBW appeals turned down inside his first 5 over spell. But the first big moment of the game came 50 minutes into the days play, when off Murali Kartik’s first delivery, Ian Westwood struck the ball into Rory Burns at short leg. Burns seemed to take the catch, but as he tried to celebrate, he let go of the ball, and the umpires deemed that he hadn’t held onto it long enough. Poor cricket from Rory, simply throwing a wicket away, and with the situation our team is in at the moment, you can’t afford to let chances like that go.

That missed chance did prove to be costly, as Chopra and Westwood looked increasingly comfortable at the crease, and took their side to lunch on 105 without loss, with some thinking to be done by the bowlers.

Straight after the break, Surrey got a stroke of luck, when Chopra got an inside edge back onto his stumps off the bowling of Jordan, and the breakthrough had been made. Jordan was bowling erratically, with numerous no balls and boundaries balls being delivered, but he claimed his second wicket, as Porterfield gloved a hook through to Davies.

Surrey had started the afternoon session strongly, and the skipper Gareth Batty struck to reduce the hosts to 188-3, as the previously comfortable Westwood was trapped in front for 67. Murali Kartik was brought back into the attack, and he trapped Maddy LBW with one that went on with the arm, as Surrey started to apply pressure.

That was the last wicket of the session though, as Troughton and Johnson took their side to the break on 216-4; but it had certainly been our session. They batted well for the first hour of the final session, putting their side into a strong position on Day one, but with the partnership on 98, Meaker made the breakthrough when he had Johnson caught by de Bruyn.

Meaker then made it two in quick succession, when he had former Surrey man Rikki Clarke caught brilliantly by Rory Burns to pick up a second bowling bonus point. That was the last wicket of the day, as Troughton (74*) and Chris Woakes took their side to the close on 322-6.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, I think Warwickshire would have taken that if it would have been handed to them at the beginning of the day, but I also feel that Surrey would be reasonably pleased with their days work. The pitch is extremely dry, and looks a belter to bat on, and after getting to Lunch without claiming a wicket, we should be happy with our afternoons work.

The main negative today was Chris Jordan’s erratic bowling, with 7 no balls and going at almost 6 an over, but the 2 wickets does make it look marginally better. If we can manage to nip out a couple of early wickets tomorrow, and roll them over for less than 350, the bowlers would have done extremely well. But with the skipper still there, and with Woakes in good form after a century last week, there is still some work to do.

Dernbach returns for Edgbaston test

Jade Dernbach has been named in a 13 man squad for the LVCC Division One match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston, after recovering from a side strain.

If he plays, it will be his first game for Surrey since the Twenty 20 game against Kent at Beckenham on 17^th June, one day before the tragic passing of Tom Maynard. Therefore, he will be a bit behind his teammates in the grieving stage, and will initially find it difficult to get back out there for his county. However, the injury came at a good time for Jade, so he could get away from the game for a few weeks after losing a close friend in Tom.

Alongside Dernbach, 4 other frontline seam bowlers have been named in the squad, in the shape of Jon Lewis, Tim Linley, Stuart Meaker and Chris Jordan. Even though he adds extra depth to the batting, you would think that Jordan didn’t do enough to keep his place at Trent Bridge last week. Jon Lewis is one of only two players who have played every Championship game this season, and even though he hasn’t been taking hatfuls of wickets, he will presumably keep his place.

Stuart Meaker is a definite in the side, so the other seamers spot will go to either Linley or Dernbach, unless Adams leaves out one of the spinners again. If it was down to me, I would leave out Murali Kartik, who doesn’t add anything with the bat, and at the moment, doesn’t seem to be troubling opposition batsman.

That would leave 4 seamers and Batty, which I think is the right way to go at the moment, unless Jade isn’t fully fit. He is currently playing in the Second X1, coincidently against Warwickshire in Birmingham, and has got through overs in both innings which looks promising. In the same game, the Viscount took 7 in the first innings and currently has 2 in the second, which makes it look like he is starting to find his form of last season.

One bowler who is injured though, is Chris Tremlett, who has a knee injury and will see a specialist this week to discover if he needs an operation. A desperate blow for Chris after just coming back from a back injury, and if he requires an op, then it could sadly lead to the end of his playing days in a Surrey shirt at least, as his contract runs out at the end of the season.

After putting on 85 for the first wicket against Notts last week, Rory Burns and Zafar Ansari will continue at the top of the order. There were promising signs last week that the two youngsters could do the job, but in the second X1 this week, the partnership didn’t last long in both innings, so they still have a lot to prove in the first team.

Arun Harinath has been named in a Championship squad for the first time this season, and if he plays, will bat at 3, which he has done most of the year in the Second X1. However, Arun being included means that Matthew Spriegel has been left out. I think that is rather unfair on Spriegs. He obviously deserved a place in the squad last week, and he didn’t really have much time to prove himself, so I thought he would be a cert for the squad this week. But, it’s a good chance for Harinath to prove himself, and try and earn a contract for next season.

Zander de Bruyn is the other player to have played every Championship game this season, and after captaining the side last week, now has the chance to focus on his batting. Jason Roy will be looking to continue from where he left off at Trent Bridge last week, and Steve Davies will be trying to find some sort of form, as he has got a succession of low scores recently.

They are all big games of cricket for the rest of the season, but this one is massive. The quicker we can get a win, the quicker we can build some momentum can creep away from the relegation places. However, that is easier said than done, as Warwickshire sit top of the table with only one defeat this season, but that did come last week against Somerset, so hopefully they are starting to falter. They did beat us at the Oval earlier this season by 5 wickets, but we were certainly in the game, but a partnership between Tim Ambrose and William Porterfield, then Rikki Clarke, sealed the victory for the bears.

But with the opening partnership looking promising, and with bowlers finding some form, I fully believe this team can challenge with the best and come away with the points. Come on the Rey!!

Surrey Squad:

Gareth Batty (C)

Zafar Ansari

Rory Burns

Arun Harinath

Zander de Bruyn

Steve Davies (WK)

Jason Roy

Murali Kartik

Stuart Meaker

Jon Lewis

Tim Linley

Jade Dernbach

Chris Jordan

Birthday Boy Roy sets draw alight

As expected, the LVCC Division One match between Nottinghamshire and Surrey at Trent Bridge has ended in a draw, but the game was set alight by a wonderful 83 by Jason Roy.

After the second and third days were washed out, and with Notts 178-5, it looked difficult to somehow work the game so that a positive result could be found. So the hosts carried on batting, with Read and Voges comfortable at the crease as the bowlers, especially Jordan, tried hard but with no success.

Lewis made the breakthrough when he nipped one back at Voges and trapped him in front. Phillips then put on a partnership with his skipper to gain a 3rd batting point, but Read was bowled by the impressive Meaker, 2 short of a much deserved century.

After Andre Adams and Phillips had a bit of a thrash, Meaker removed them both caught in the deep to claim a fifer. A great effort from Meaker, even if it wasn't in a winning cause. Kartik finished off the innings to claim his first wicket, Notts 328 all out.

As they did at Guildford, Burns and Ansari opened up and built an excellent opening partnership. Both looked assured at the crease, as Burns brought up his first Championship half century, taking Surrey to tea 82-0.

However, Ansari went soon after the break when he was bowled for 32 by Carter. Shame he couldn't kick on, but a promising start from Zaf. Jason Roy came in and started to counter punch, trying to take his side to a first batting point. But he lost his partner, when Adams bowled Burns for 79. A great innings from the Banstead keeper, and hopefully there will be more to come this season. 

Adams was really finding his rhythm, as he had de Bruyn caught for 0 and Davies for 2, as Roy was losing partners. The young man from Durban really started to fire, as he hit Samit Patel for two consecutive reverse swept sixes, yes two consecutive reverse swept sixes! Unbelievable skill and strength. But very next ball he was stumped by Read as he fell 17 short of a superb hundred.

Spriegel came and went for 17, bowled by Adams as he tried to force the issue and get to a second batting point before the close. Jordan and Meaker took us to that second batting point, which could be important come the end of the season.

So once again the weather has let us down this season. After finally having a good first day in the Championship, the next two days are washed out so we couldn't force a victory. That means that we have still only won one game this season, but there are plenty more positives from this than there were at Guildford last week.

Even though Meaker seems to leak runs, he is a genuine wicket taker, and it was good to see him mop the tail up like he did. Jordan looked good on the first day, as did Linley to some extent, but I don't think they have done enough to keep Batty and Tremlett out again. A main positive is the opening partnership, where Ansari looked solid as always, and Burns is finally showing the form he has produced for the 2's this year.

But the shining light of the afternoon was definitely Jason Roy, whose innings of 83 off just 50 balls included 8 fours and 5 maximums. He was disappointed that he couldn't complete his second First Class hundred, but I thought it was great to see him back at his explosive best. A very happy birthday to the 22 year old, who if he bats like that regularly, has a big future ahead of him.

We now have almost a week off, before we travel to Edgbaston to play top of table side Warwickshire. It’s going to be a tough game against a strong opposition, but we have to believe we can come away with a positive result and creep away from the relegation zone.

Notts fight back after bowlers start well

After being 83-5 this morning, the Nottinghamshire batsman have fought back on Day one of the LVCC Division One match against Surrey at Trent Bridge, ending a rain affected day on 178-5.

The first bit of surprising news was that Gareth Batty and Chris Tremlett had been left out of the final X1, and Zander de Bruyn was the stand in captain. Fair enough that the conditions didn’t suit the spinners, but I would have dropped Kartik, not Batty, as he has been our best bowler over the last few weeks, and also gives a further batting option. Also surprised that Tremlett was left out, but the swing of Linley was preffered to Tremlett’s bounce.

That gave Tim Linley and Chris Jordan a chance to prove themselves, and on an overcast morning with a greenish pitch, Zander de Bruyn had no hesitation in choosing to bowl first when he won the toss. After Wessels and Hales gave the hosts an electric start, it was the Viscount who made the breakthrough, when he had Wessels caught by Jordan at first slip.

The wicket slowed the Notts run rate considerably, and when Hales chopped on to Lewis, and Jordan trapped Lumb LBW, a good start by the Surrey bowlers had been confirmed with Notts 53-3 inside the first hour. Samit Patel was the next man to go, when he edged a legside Meaker delivery into the gloves of Steve Davies. A bonus wicket for Surrey, and 4 had gone down before lunch.

Surrey weren’t finished yet though, as Meaker drew James Taylor into a drive, and Davies did the rest behind the stumps. In the same over, Voges was dropped by Spriegel at third slip, as the Australian and his skipper Read took their side to lunch on 118-5. A costly mistake by the returning Spriegel.

After a solid start for the batsman after the break, heavy rain came across the ground, and there was a delay. The players managed to get back on the park for a couple of overs, before the rain came again to cause a further delay. Play once again commenced at half past 4, with a scheduled 40 overs still remaining in the day.

The partnership between Read and Voges started to look dangerous, and after we had them 83-5 earlier on, it was a very good recovery being 165-5 when the players got back out there. With the run rate over 4 an over, the Surrey bowlers had to tighten their lengths and try and apply pressure to the experienced pair, who looked relatively comfortable at the crease.

However, after being out there for less than 10 minutes, with the score moved onto 178-5, the bad weather was back, which ended the day prematurely.

Overall a good start to the day by our bowlers, restricting the second place team to 83-5 is a great effort, even though there were conducive conditions, but we failed to capitalise on that good situation as Read and Voges batted extremely well. All the bowlers bowled well in patches today, with Meaker picking up two wickets but going at over 4 and a half an over, but Jordan was probably the most probing of the lot, picking up the wicket of Lumb and not going for a run in his first 4 overs.

Tomorrow morning we will be hoping to nip out one of the set batsman early, break into the tail, and restrict them to under 250. However, if Read and Voges continue the way they did this afternoon, an above par of over 300 could be on the cards.

Finally I would like to congratulate Gareth Batty, Stuart Meaker, Jade Dernbach and Steve Davies for being named in England’s preliminary 30 man squad for the ICC World T20. I am very happy for them, especially Gareth, who has put in so much effort over the last couple of years, and even though he probably won’t make the final 15, it is good that he has been recognised.

Spriegel returns to LVCC action

Matthew Spriegel has been included in a 13 man squad for the LVCC Division One match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge starting tomorrow.

If he makes the final X1, it would be his first Championship appearance for Surrey since August 2010. It is almost certain that he will play, and possibly open with Rory Burns, as the batting would look wafer thin otherwise. I have always thought that Spriegs is a good, solid batsman, and he has shown that in One Day cricket over the last 4 years, but he has never really cemented a place in the 4 day side, and at the age of 25, I think that this is his time to shine.

We have of course lost Kevin Pietersen for this match, and possibly the rest of the season now, as he prepares for the opening test against South Africa, so that leaves a huge whole in our middle order. That means that our other batsman need to stand up and be counted against a strong Nottinghamshire attack. Rory Burns has been in great form for the 2’s this year, but has so far failed to convert that into the First team. Due to the distinct lack of batsman in our squad at the moment, he will be given a few chances in the side, but he still has to take them.

Zafar Ansari is likely to drop down to number 6 in the batting order. He looked solid opening up against Lancashire last week, but I don’t feel that opening the batting suits him, so it will be interesting to see how he gets on lower down. Zander de Bruyn finally managed to find some form against Lancashire last week, and we need his runs and experience in the middle order, with him being the oldest batsman by some 11 years. Steve Davies hasn’t really got going this season, both in First Class and One day cricket, combined with rumours circulating that he may be leaving at the end of the season. Let’s hope that that doesn’t happen.

Once again our bowling attack looks strong, with 5 internationals included. After being rested at the weekend, Chris Tremlett comes back in and will play, presumably alongside our leading wicket taker this year, Stuart Meaker. Jon Lewis worked hard against Lancs last week, but looked rusty, and I may be inclined to give the Viscount Linley a go. However, with the extra batting Lewis gives, I don’t think he will be left out.

Overseas spinner Murali Kartik has once again been named in the squad, but some people across Twitter believe that he should be left out for an extra batsman. I totally agree with them. Kartik offers next to nothing with the bat, and looked extremely ineffective at Guildford last week, and with Batty in much better form with the ball, and Ansari and Spriegel in the team, we have plenty of spin options.

You can’t leave Kartik out for Linley, because he is even worse with the bat, but I would give Chris Jordan a game. Jordan has a point to prove, or he will be seemingly released at the end of the season, and offers an extra batting option down the order. However, I don’t think that Adams has the nerve to leave out his overseas star.

Adams spoke this week about the need of an overseas batsman, and I think that if the right option comes up, then he should take it. We have bowlers coming out of our ears at the moment, with Linley, Jordan, Dunn, Edwards, Jewell etc all waiting for a game, but hardly any batsman. Of course, we have lost a couple of batsman to unforeseen circumstances, but even before the season started we were in need of an opening batsman or two, and If Adams wants to stay in Division One, getting a batsman in is a priority.

As we saw at Guildford at the weekend, we face a star studded Nottinghamshire outfit, with 6 or 7 top class batsman, as well as Andre Adams coming back in alongside Darren Pattinson and Harry Gurney in the bowling ranks. They sit in second place in the table, a massive 50 points above us in 7th place, and will be a tough test for us. We have to hope that their batsman have an off couple of days, and our strong bowling attack can capitalise, as well as our inexperienced batting line up putting on a good show. So far this season we have had poor first days in all of our games, and even though we have fought back a number of times, it is important to get off to a good start against a team like Notts, because if you start slowly, you could be out of the game after Day One.

Surrey Squad:

Gareth Batty (C)

Rory Burns

Matthew Spriegel

Zander de Bruyn

Steve Davies (WK)

Jason Roy

Zafar Ansari

Chris Jordan

Murali Kartik

Stuart Meaker

Jon Lewis

Chris Tremlett

Tim Linley

Overnight Rain confirms draw

The 4th and final day of the LVCC Division One match between Surrey and Lancashire at Guildford has been abandoned, with the match ending as a draw.

Heavy rain overnight led to the outfield being extremely wet, and further rain throughout the day made it an easy decision for the umpires to call it off. Even if there was some play, there was no way a result would have been forced for either side, which made the decision even easier.

KP wasn't able to add to his 234*, and therefore not pass his highest First Class score of 254. We come out of the game with a respectable 10 points, after claiming maximum batting points yesterday for the first time this season.

Of the play we did have, I think it is fair to say that Batty made a big misjudgement in electing to field first, but he is a new captain, and you learn from your mistakes. The bowlers worked hard, on a pitch that didn't really help them, and it was fantastic to see Chris Tremlett bowling well and for nearly 30 overs over the first two days.

The batting was a bit hit and miss. Of course KP was exceptional, and showed everyone what he is capable of, but a couple of others will be disappointed with the way they played. Burns just misjudged a ball from Chapple which did jag back in a fair distance. Ansari looked solid and showed good temperament until he flashed at a ball he shouldn't have. Davies also did the same, and Roy did what Roy always does. Looks good, before getting out playing an aggressive stroke.

So we still have only won the one game in the LVCC this year, and the relegation fight is well and truly on. However, I fully believe this group of players can fight back and string performances together to make sure we are in the first division next year.

We now return our focus to the CB40 against Notts at Guildford tomorrow. We have done well in our defence so far, winning 4 out of 6, with two rained off, but with the loss of a couple of key players, we will have to be fully on our game against a good looking Notts line up.