surrey vs Worcestershire LV=County Championship

Squads have been announced for the game starting tomorrow. A strong showing from the Worcestershire academy in both sides....!

Surrey:- Gary Wilson (capt), Zafar Ansari, Gareth Batty, Rory Burns, Jade Dernbach, Steven Davies, Matthew Dunn, Arun Harinath, Aneesh Kapil, Jason Roy, Vikram Solanki, Chris Tremlett

Worcester:- Darryl Mitchell (capt), Matt Pardoe, Moeen Ali, Tom Fell, Alexei Kervezee, Ross Whiteley, Ben Cox (wkt), Joe Leach, Jack Shantry, Saeed Ajmal, Charlie Morris & Richie Oliver (12th man)

Worcestershire have already announced that they will be unchanged from the rain ruined affair at Tunbridge Wells and will be hoping to be able to complete an away CC game for the first time this season having had the better of the three rain affected draws in Hampshire, Glamorgan and Kent. The Surrey squad is an interesting one with the return of Solanki, who I understood to be out with injury for some time to come. I generally find it nigh on impossible to predict Surrey bowling attacks due to your embarrassment of riches in the seam department, but I expect ex Worcester lad Kapil is probably the most likely to miss out?

I have written a preview to this game - http://deepextracover.com/2014/05/31/lvcc-preview-surrey-v-worcestershire/

Lots of interesting players on show so should be a fascinating four days.

Surrey have named a twelve man squad for the LV=County Championship match against Worcestershire starting at the Kia Oval on Sunday.
Hashim Amla is unavailable due to Cricket South Africa commitments and Tom Curran is not included because he is sitting his A-Level exams. Tim Linley and Stuart Meaker are both unavailable due to side strains but Vikram Solanki is named in the squad for the first time this season   
The Surrey squad to play Worcestershire in the LV=County Championship at the Kia Oval on Sunday 1st June, Monday 2nd June, Tuesday 3rd June and Wednesday 4th June:
Gary Wilson (capt)
Zafar Ansari
Gareth Batty
Rory Burns
Jade Dernbach
Steven Davies
Matthew Dunn
Arun Harinath
Aneesh Kapil
Jason Roy
Vikram Solanki
Chris Tremlett
anyone remember the last time we played without a overseas player?

Interesting article Jack, however I'd have to strongly disagree with your assertion that Moeen's standards have dropped this summer. Due to England commitments he has only been available for 4 CC games (he's only had 4 innings in those games) in which he averages 52. Considering that 3 of those innings have been at Worcester on what is a tricky pitch at the moment I'd say his standards have remained impeccably high.

It will be interesting to see what kind of pitch Surrey produce. The suggesting that they'll try to avoid turn due to Ajmal is fair, although Steve Rhodes has spoken recently about Saeed being most at home on those pitches that aren't raging turners due to the number of variations he has giving him a greater degree of subtlety when the turn is less erratic off the pitch.

Pack and Shelsey - thanks for the thread and article. I do fear though that Pack didn't get copyright permission from JimBob for starting things off - he can expect a bunch of marauding Gooners kicking down the doors of Pack Towers come closing time!   

The real surprise in the Surrey squad is the inclusion of Vik Solanki, a popular figure at the Oval and probably the best of Adams' veteran signings. He's been missing since before the start of the season for 'personal family reasons'. I hope they have changed for the better but rather suspect Solanki has agreed to play so as to help us out of a short term fix with Amla, Pietersen and Sibley all unavailable for this fixture. [Smith, of course, is in South Africa for his latest medical treatment whilst Mrs Smith presumably does the round of shops there.]

I agree with Pack that Kapil is most likely to miss out but you never know. Always an even chance that Tremlett will put his back out knocking the top off his boiled egg at breakfast!

I'll be very surprised if the pitch is much of a turner. All previous pitches have been geared towards our multitude of seamers and I don't see that there'll have been time to prepare anything different for this match. Also, whilst Batty did brilliantly at the People's Republic of Chelmsford last Sunday, that was his first CC appearance of the season and was somewhat unexpected (apart from possibly by him!) - tomorrow's pitch wouldn't therefore have had him particularly in mind when it started to be prepared.

Going along tomorrow.

JimBob - many thanks although - now keep calm!    - someone has beaten you to the match thread.

Might be helpful to merge if a mod can do so.

After all we've been through guildford

Should be a good game. Though, with the amount of ex-Worcs players in the Surrey squad, it's almost like watching Worcestershire firsts vs the 2nd XI   

Mat - yes, but which players should be in the 2nd XI?
PS Thanks to the mods for merging the threads.
PPS JimBob - trust you saw that I spelt out in my earlier post what probably awaited Pack!

Typical. I go to the effort of setting up a thread and now I won't get to enjoy it as I'll have to go to ground to avoid the "marauding gooners". Knew I should've installed wifi in the bunker.

Pack - as gooners go, JimBob's actually a peace loving guy. He gets rid of most of his aggression in his posts about Surrey's continual problems!

Please feel free to set foot here. I'm sure the Corporal and his troops will look after you!

packofwolves wrote:Typical. I go to the effort of setting up a thread and now I won't get to enjoy it as I'll have to go to ground to avoid the "marauding gooners". Knew I should've installed wifi in the bunker.

  

At the ground. Sunny day, no breeze, some clouds but high and don't look threatening.

Wicket looks prepared for the seamers - definitely green. Wicket is right over towards the Gas Holder whilst the rope on the School side has been noticeably brought in. Could well be a few sixes.

According to the scorecard, Kapil and Oliver miss out as expected.

Appears the Surrey bowlers are getting some treatment from the Worcester batters Guildford?

Mitchell surely on outside shout for a test spot...

50 up for Matt Pardoe. Exceptionally quickly for his standards too, 51 from 59 balls, 8x4 1x6.

Judging from the radio commentary there have been a few streaky shots here and there and certainly one loud appeal for lbw against Pards. Very strong start though... 87/0

Sorry folks, cursed him. Pards bowled by a quicker one from Norah. Having a swipe for 52. Out comes the beard that's feared...!

Olly wrote:Appears the Surrey bowlers are getting some treatment from the Worcester batters Guildford?

Mitchell surely on outside shout for a test spot...

The boundaries are so close in that the batsmen will definitely get runs if they don't get out. If Jason Roy lasts a couple of hours, he should get a ton.

Impressed by Mitchell. A thinking cricketer. Edged Dunn wide of the slips for a boundary early on. The next ball, he just dabbed it two yards into the off side and stole a single whilst Surrey were still cursing their luck from the previous ball.

Pardoe started the slower of the openers but then really took off being particularly severe on anything a bit wide of off peg. That cost Dernbach who has been the most disappointing of the bowlers. Pardoe then got too carried away and was skittled by a quicker ball from Batty.

Ali has looked to continue Pardoe's work and has - for now - hit Batty out of the attack.

Not much - if any - luck for Dunn or Tremlett. Both have generally bowled ok although Tremlett frustratingly continues to appear that he's bowling within himself.

Four sixes in the first session - glad to call something right!

Guildford - is it likely, in your learned opinion, that the short boundaries are something of a calculated gamble on Surrey's part to give their batsmen an option against our spin threat?

Good call on the sixes, I wonder when there were last four sixes hit in the opening session of a champo game? Worcester's session but add a couple of wickets to that score and I'd suggest Surrey would be delighted.

Thanks, Pack. I'm not sure about the short boundaries - and even less so of my "learned opinin"! I know we are in the process of relaying wickets - that might mean we are restricted in what we can use rather than it being a cunning plot.

Just had a close look at the wicket - something the Oval commendably permits during intervals - if only to try and pretend I understand such things. Whilst it is green as I first thought, it is definitely more green on one side (Gas Holder) than the other. Make of that what you will but it makes me suspect the wicket could well misbehave as time goes on and play more into Ajmal's hands in the fourth innings.

You are right that 2 more quick wickets would give the score a very different complexion. We should just have had one - Mitchell dropped by Solanki in the slips off Dunn.

Thanks for that Guildford. very useful to have eyes on the ground (no pun intended).

Mitch has just reached his half century. He currently has 52 from 95 balls. I will offer absolutely no praise in his direction whatsoever.

Thanks again, Pack.

Surrey have been a lot tighter in the hour or so since lunch although not particularly threatening ...

I had just typed that when Mitchell misjudges a ball from Tremlett and allows it to swing into his stumps!

Btw, what's your issue with Mitchell?

No issue at all with Mitch. He's an elegant batsman to watch, an intelligent cricketer and seemingly an excellent leader of men. However saying anything approaching complimentary about him whilst he's at the crease seems to bring about his downfall without fail.

Having said that, he is a Villa fan....

Ah, understand now about you not wanting to jinx Mtchell, Pack.

I wouldn't say Mitchell looks ready now for Test cricket (going back to Olly's post this morning) but he's one to keep in mind going forward.

Dunn has bowled well in this session and is unlucky not to have a wicket. Fell seems uncomfortable against him and is a bit fortunate not to have gone already. Very different type of innings from Ali since lunch - much more reserved and defensive.

232/2 at tea. Judging from the commentary Surrey have bowled very tightly throughout that second session and they certainly built pressure well. Very pleased to only lose one wicket and by the composure shown by Mo and the seemingly mature start from Tom Fell. I'll be interested to hear what you make of young Fell actually Guildford. He's an ex Oxford universities cricketer who came onto the scene last year with a 60 odd against the Australians. He's held in high regard by Bumpy and co.

With regards to Mitchell and the test spot, he certainly deserves to be talked about. He averages 109 so far this year in the CC and has to an extent carried us with the bat. He has a sound enough, relatively classical technique, concentrates well and is hungry for success in the game. He averages a shade over 41 in 1st class cricket across his career, so not too shabby there. In all honesty I don't think there's an awful lot of difference between him and Sam Robson, but the Middlesex man has time on his side (24 plays 30) and Lions tour experience, where he clearly impressed many.

Afternoon all.  Sounds as though we are struggling to make much of an impact in this match so far.  Hope Guildford gets to see two or three wickets in final session.

Guildford - did you see incident Shelsey has tweeted about.  He said Dunn was rather naughty - making a hash of a bit of fielding on the boundary and the umpire taking his word that he saved the boundary when it was very clear (from the press box   ) that it was a boundary....

258/2. Worcs will be mighty disappointed if they don't end up north of 400 frm here.

Ali looking on for a century - 90 odd now.

Fell has hung in there after a shakey start and now looking more confident on 34.

Ton for Moeen, 180 balls, 9x4 3x6. Doing all he can do to get himself on that teamsheet for the first test.

Corporal - have to do an Arsene Wenger with the Dunn incident. I'm at the top of the Pavilion whilst it happened at the opposite end of the ground. I saw Dunn fumble the ball and then retrieve it but couldn't tell if it went for 4 or not. However, assuming Shelsey is in the press box, it would have been right under his nose. Certainly there was a lot of noise from the crowd there suggesting something wasn't right.

Fell falls! Missed a full toss from Ansari. He'll be furious to get out like that having battled away through the afternoon against much more testing bowling.

New ball being taken straightaway by Dunn. Tremlett also warming up ....

Handy time to grab a wicket right before the new ball, especially considering the known fragility of our lower middle order. Disappointing for fell to not at least make his half ton, but a good hand from him nonetheless.

Right as I type that Kervezee is caught at slip off Tremlett with the new ball. Here come the Worcester wobbles....

A wicket for Tremlett!  

Interesting day's cricket today. I'm now totally sold on Moeen Ali as an England batsman - though I think he needs to play as a batsman, not as a spinner. I was particularly impressed with the way he attacked Batty in the morning session without taking any great risk. Generally English batsmen - KP, Morgan and Bell included - can attack spin but only with big shots that can easily, and often do, go wrong. He is great to watch, particularly when going over the off-side. He is also a very cool guy and didn't seem at all flustered by a period where he struggled to score. I wrote about him here - http://deepextracover.com/2014/06/01/ali-moves-a-step-closer-to-an-england-place-but-it-should-not-be-as-main-spinner/#.U4uLO16y_t0

Generally Worcestershire's batting was very good. Mitchell continued his good form and Pardoe, somebody I haven't seen much of in the past, looked exceptional until being bowled by Batty for 52.

Surrey were at their best between lunch and tea and not bad after tea, with Dunn probably narrowly the pick (I'll talk about his boundary fielding in a moment...). There was some interesting captaincy from Wilson. After Moeen's morning session onslaught he kept Batty and Ansari out of the attack for an age, preferring Roy's medium pace. To the extent that the scoring was stalled it worked though Moeen isn't the type of player likely to be frustrated into a false shot. He certainly erred by not bringing any fielders up when Moeen was on 99, leading him to just prod one into the leg-side.

Now, the Dunn incident. He brought out the dive at third man but it went through him and, as those of us in the press box could clearly see as it was right under our noses, hit the rope. He may even also have been in contact with the rope himself when he picked it up. However, as tends to happen, as he got up he got a clap from the fielders who, presumably, couldn't see what have happened. He rather guiltily, and belatedly, put his arms out to suggest he didn't know what had happened but the umpires took his word for it and he got away with it. That really is a spirit of cricket faux pas, though fortunately there isn't much interest in this game and so there weren't any high profile journalists there to get sanctimonious about it!

Moeen thinks the pitch might suit himself and Ajmal - more with bounce than turn, though Ajmal in particular likes that. I certainly agree with guildford in thinking that it is not a road and that Worcs are already in a good position. Surrey's line-up looks a little weak on paper without an overseas, and with Solanki batting in a game for the first time this year, so 400 might be a winning score if the rain stays away.

Shelsey - that's a first rate report and you particularly hit the nail on the head about Moeen Ali's Test claims. He considerably advanced them today but very much as a batsman.

I thought Wilson erred in keeping Batty and Ansari out of the attack for so long after lunch. Whilst the seamers did a lot better in the afternoon session to the extent that they kept things fairly tight, they never looked overly threatening. I would have liked to have seen Wilson show faith in his spinners and bring them back sooner in an attempt to make the breakthrough. Also, nine overs during the day from Roy in three spells was too many in my book.

I also agree that Dunn was probably the best of the Surrey bowlers (definitely the unluckiest), very narrowly shading it over Tremlett. Tremlett pretty much kept it consistently tight but only threatened now and again. As mentioned earlier, he continues to frustrate in appearing to bowl within himself. Dernbach tightened up as the day went on but was too loose in the morning and helped set Pardoe off on his mini blitz.

I would just reiterate that the boundaries are very short (particularly on the Gas Holder side). Shown by six sixes in the day, four of them in the first session. If Surrey can stay in, they'll get runs - Roy, in particular. However, they need to get 6 more wickets before they can think too much about that. If one of those wickets isn't Moeen's early in the morning, the chance of a Surrey win (already looking small) will probably have gone completely.

PS I thought Davies looked a forlorn figure fielding much of the day around the boundary. Once more I say of a Surrey player - things don't look right there. Any chat from the press box about that, Shelsey?

A few thoughts from a Surrey angle on the first day's play, some of which echo what's already been said.

Dunn and Tremlett stuck to their task pretty well and overall I thought Surrey probably deserved one or two wickets more but I am biased.

I can see Wilson was trying to join some dots in the afternoon session with limited success but despite the short boundary I thought spin could have been used slightly more. Moeen's agression however was making this a gamble.

Surrey bowlers currently fill two of the bottom three places in the second division bowling averages. Roy is second bottom with his one wicket costing 155 runs and if Dernbach concedes another 19 runs without success his four wickets this season will have cost 100 each. Both have a long way currently to match Derbyshire's Mark Turner's average of 230.

Lovely to see Solanki back on the field again. In cricket terms it was a tough day for him with a dropped catch, a finger injury and, as with all his teammates, having to watch Worcestershire bat so well but it must have been good to be out there again.

I share the concern for Steven Davies. Just doesn't look as if he's enjoying his cricket these days. If he felt giving up the gloves was the best thing to do for him and the team then he was quite right to speak up but I hope he soon feels he can don the gauntlets again.

As I write I understand the Members Forum is about to begin so we'll see what comes out of that. I can't be there because of the start time. I've always believed they should have remained evening events anyway.

Dernbach appears to have out diesel into his petrol car and isn't there this morning?!

Guildford is this true?

Don't know if this is good news or not but Dernbach is stuck in traffic and not yet even at the ground - you couldn't make it up!

That's great news! He's an absolute waste of space is Dernbach!
The end of a great knock from Ali, let's hope we can polish off Worcs before lunch!
Some brilliant posts on here by the way chaps! Thanks, it's great reading

0lly - not sure about the diesel bit of the story but Dernbach still isn't here. To be fair, there's apparently been a very bad traffic accident near the ground (I'm at the Oval but came by train and tube).

Ali dropped by Batty on the boundary but wonderfully caught next ball by Wilson low and to his left, both off the bowling of Dunn. Whiteley was dropped earlier at slip by Solanki, again off Dunn who deserves better figures.

Two sixes so far this morning, both off Batty.

374/5 off 110 overs. Just the one bowling point. Very disappointing.

guildfordbat wrote:PS  I thought Davies looked a forlorn figure fielding much of the day around the boundary. Once more I say of a Surrey player - things don't look right there. Any chat from the press box about that, Shelsey?

Good spot. I did think it was odd that he wasn't slip. Will keep a close eye on him for the rest of the game.

Re Dernbach there has been bad traffic after the Vauxhall Bridge was closed off. A press box colleague tells me it took him (the journo in question, not Jade!) an hour and a half to get five miles, and then he had to walk the last mile and a half.

Solanki misses his third slip chance of the innings. Whiteley again escapes with an edge through Solanki's legs, this time off Roy.

Maybe Solanki shouldn't be fielding in the slips (says he showing startling analytical insight!)   Just hope his reactions have improved when it comes to batting.

See Panesar got dropped for timekeeping issues, but maybe other players are let off if there is widespread transport disruption....

A solid if not spectacular morning session from a Worcester perspective as we look to bat Surrey out of the game. I'm stuck at work today so I'm limited to the cricinfo scorecard and your updates Guildford!

It sounds like Ross Whiteley led a bit of a charmed life but Ben Cox seems to be going well? Still hoping for 500 and a bowl mid afternoon.

A solid if not spectacular morning session from a Worcester perspective as we look to bat Surrey out of the game. I'm stuck at work today so I'm limited to the cricinfo scorecard and your updates Guildford!

It sounds like Ross Whiteley led a bit of a charmed life but Ben Cox seems to be going well? Still hoping for 500 and a bowl mid afternoon.

Goochie - sorry to have to tell you but Dernbach has now arrived.

Pack - yes, Whiteley had some luck but he went for it and probably deserved a bit of good fortune. He finall fell to a slip catch but one taken by Burns. Solanki had wisely (been) moved to mid on by then!

Cox now driving on. I don't think Worcs will be too upset about being all out if they go north of 450. I would guess they would settle for 480 at this stage (439/7 at lunch).

guildford - thanks for that! he's bowling now..........let's see if he can knock 9/10/jack over! Ooooof there you go number 9 gone as I type!
Pack - we're batted out of the match already, I think avoiding the follow on is our sole target!

Impressed again by Moeen. Rather than resting on his laurels and scoffing cheese sarnies at lunchtime, he was on the outfield practicing his bowling.