Surrey vs Derbyshire LV=County Championship

Surrey have named a twelve man squad for their LV=County Championship game against Derbyshire starting on Sunday.
Tom Curran returns to the squad having missed the last Championship game against Gloucestershire due to his A-Level exams.
harinath and edwards are omitted and there is still no kp   
The Surrey squad to play Derbyshire at the 3aaa County Ground on Sunday 15th June, Monday 16th June, Tuesday 17th June and Wednesday 18th June:
Gary Wilson (capt)
Hashim Amla
Zafar Ansari
Gareth Batty
Rory Burns
Tom Curran
Jade Dernbach
Steven Davies
Matthew Dunn
Jason Roy
Vikram Solanki
Chris Tremlett

Thanks Jimbob.  I imagine Curran is likely to play, not least to bring a set of fresh limbs after the Surrey bowlers got through 189 overs for six wickets in the Gloucs second inings.

Echo that, Corporal. Unless Tremlett is shot, I would expect Dernbach to make way for Curran.

Any idea why Pietersen isn't playing?

msp83 wrote:Any idea why Pietersen isn't playing?

Good question, msp, and one being asked by several supporters.

Pietersen's current contract with Surrey is essentially for t20 only. However, it also contains a provision that he can play in other formats if mutually agreed by the player and the club. As you might imagine, Surrey would jump at the chance of Pietersen playing 4 day cricket but so far he hasn't been available or willing. Possibly Pietersen's fitness (general and a specific finger injury from the IPL) is a factor although it does seem his main interest is in the limited overs format.

In responding to supporters' questions about Pietersen's availability, the club now emphasise his committment to the club and that he won't miss any t20 games for Surrey when he plays t20 later this season in the Caribbean but make little or no reference to other formats. However, that's a different tune to when he re-signed at the start of the year when high hopes were expressed about him playing more than just t20.

Is Pietersen becoming a distraction?   

Dunn was the bowler to make way for Curran.  Derby win toss and bat. Make a steady start then Curran make breakthrough, getting Moore LBW   26 - 1

And strikes again, to have Madsen caught by Wilson.  28 - 2

Harsh on Clive to miss out

jimbobgooner wrote:Harsh on Clive to miss out

I saw on twitter that Church emphasised Clive had been ''rested''. Still left out though however you word it. Dernbach can count himself lucky to be playing.

My general impression of Temlett this season is that he's been tidy and tight but not particularly penetrative. Seems to have been the case again in his opening spell (I haven't heard any commentary) of 0/9 off 6 overs.

67 - 3 As Ansari has Borrington *the limpet* caught by Amala.  

Surrey's session but we still need at least another couple of wickets in the next to maintain the momentum.

Curran seems to be becoming a valuable member of the team. Would be so good if he could also get a few runs.

All those overs from Ansari against Gloucs without any success and then a wicket in his first over today. A different track but still!    

guildfordbat wrote:

jimbobgooner wrote:Harsh on Clive to miss out

I saw on twitter that Church emphasised Clive had been ''rested''. Still left out though however you word it. Dernbach can count himself lucky to be playing.

....

At least Dernbach is making the most of any luck in his selection. 3 wickets for him so far after lunch.

5 wkts for Curran

Sounds like a fine performance from Curran   - and Dernbach     Reassuring that after Burns fell quickly Ansari and Amla held firm.  

Looks quite possible that Curran may become a regular name on the first team sheet, and not simply on the basis of giving the younger players more chance to prove themselves.

I'm again very much with the Corporal. Trust the batsmen can push on tomorrow and really give us a strong advantage.

Only disappointment was the early end. Every Surrey CC match this season has lost time due to bad weather.

Amla falls early - could be hard going today.

Fifty partnership between Ansari and Solanki, including three successive boundaries from Solanki  

118/2.

Doing well at the moment following the earlier loss of Amla, lbw to Tom Taylor - his first f c wicket, not a bad one to get. From what was shown on Surrey tv highlights (admittedly the pictures are never that clear), Amla looked like he could have gone lbw a couple of times yesterday.

Lunch 133 - 3 Solanki out for a brisk 52 while Ansari playing his favoured anchor role is on 46.  Surrey's morning although they will be disappointed to have lost a wicket just before lunch.  Done well to escape a bit of rain and bad light that's affected several games in the Midlands.  Still 20 runs behind Derby first innings, but hopefully we can push on and get a reasonable lead and at least several batting bonus points.

Lost count of the times solanki does this

Solanki's a lovely batsman - his silky cover drives are amongst the very best - but, like today, too often last season he got out when apparently well set, particularly just before or after interval breaks. (Edit: just seen JimBob's post - he's spot on, as this post supports.)

Anyway, a decent morning for us and especially so in the context of Derbys' first innings. I'm hoping for 350 but would probably settle for 300!

A 4th cc half century in a row for Ansari  

First batting point 200 - 3 and a very useful partnership from Ansari and Davies building.

100 partnership   

Steve Davies 50   

After his 98 last week, maiden fc century for Ansari    

Well played Ansari.    

Lost 3 wickets for 26 although we have at least secured a third batting point.  300 - 6.  Could really do with another 50 runs to take lead to 200.

100 for davies        

4th batting point   

tremlett wants the full batting points   

Good contributions down the order from Batty and now Tremlett.  Well batted Davies -    3 overs to get 13 runs for fifth batting point.

davies gone in the last over   
8 needed off 8 tomorrow morning   

Davies goes in the final over. A game within a game when we resume in the morning - 8 runs needed in 8 balls for a 5th batting point whilst Derbys need 1 more wicket for a 3rd bowling point.

Those anorak details aside - a very good day for Surrey with Ansari and Davies taking the honours.     

392 - 8 at the close with 8 balls left to get last batting point.  Very satisfactory day - with two more batsmen making centuries, to add to the three in the previous Surrey innings.  Exactly the kind of heavy scoring we have been lacking for so long.

Zafar Ansari

Future England prospect?

Olly wrote:Zafar Ansari

Future England prospect?

Olly - with the emphasis on 'prospect', the answer is definitely 'yes'.

Ansari's an intelligent and thinking cricketer. Also very determined. He's been a bit tucked away in the past - often batting at 7 and being the second spinner. He's pushed himself forward this year and is now up the order and was our sole spinner in the opening weeks of the season. Also a splendid fielder, whether close in or on the boundary. Many already consider him to be a Surrey captain in waiting.

I don't know what England's winter schedule is for 'A' team or Lions but he could very well be involved. [The same applies to Jason Roy; a player I've banged on about for ages. Roy appears to have added a maturity to his undoubted talent and could be another on the march.]

I make no real claim to know Ansari but have met him through family friends. A very friendly and pleasant guy. Somewhat different in character, I suspect, to a certain heavily tattooed seam bowler who was buying champagne for one of the Batgirls within minutes of meeting her in a Guildford (the place, not mine) nightclub!  

Not even bothered to try and get the 5the batting point

Now tremlett hits 2 sixes you couldn't make it up

jimbobgooner wrote:Not even bothered to try and get the 5the batting point

Why is it that certain members of the Surrey squad always seem to let you down? What was there to lose in throwing the bat?   

I think it was possibly last season that Tremlett did hit a few 6s to rescue an unlikely batting point.  (Maybe at Arundel he says vaguely)

Pleased to see that Ansari took a wicket again in his first over this morning.  Let's hope we chip away with wickets regularly through the rest of the day.

Just going back to the Gloucs game - did the match really end with 8 overs still to play and them still behind us? If so, why didn't we carry on until it was mathematically impossible for us to win?

Dave - I'm not sure if it was 8 but there were certainly some overs left to play with Gloucs still a bit behind. I too was surprised and unimpressed that we agreed to call it off when we did. Wilson seemed to explain it in a typically gentle interview from Church by suggesting that everything had been tried and that the bowlers needed to rest before this match and the t20 game in between.

5 down at tea still 103 behind spinners doing the damage

jimbobgooner wrote:5 down at tea still 103 behind spinners doing the damage

That's fine so far ....

Nora makes it number 6

wkt for the tattooed seam bowler   

8 down and the 250th first class wkt for the tattooed seam bowler    

nora strikes    9 down the lead is 15

all out 288   
21 to win tomorrow   

Probably not a brilliant day's cricket from Surrey but we did what was necessary and are now on the vege of another deserved CC victory. Not too often we've been able to say that in recent seasons.

Derbys will be disappointed they couldn't make the day a more anxious one for us. All their top six got a start but none went on to make even 50.     to Batty and Ansari (last night's post to Olly still holding up) for doing most of the damage.

We should be pleased how well we've done in this game but shouldn't get too carried away. Imo there's a considerable difference between the top of Division Two (Hants and, so far, Worcs) and those propping it up (Derbys, Gloucs and Leics).

Disappointing that Tremlett couldn't cash in with the ball - just 1 match wicket. His place for the next CC match must be in doubt with both Dunn and Linley hopeful of a recall.

jimbobgooner wrote:wkt for the tattooed seam bowler   

  

Spinners getting most of the wickets today. Very encouraging to see Ansari take 4 wickets showing further evidence of ability to fill the role of a second spinner. A fine all round performance by the team in this match. Maybe we should send Curran out to open tomorrow.