SURREY VS SOMERSET SPECSAVERS COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

SURREY HAVE NAMED A THIRTEEN MAN SQUAD FOR THE SPECSAVERS COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AGAINST SOMERSET AT TAUNTON STARTING ON SATURDAY.
Zafar Ansari returns to the Championship squad having recovered from the thumb injury he sustained in the Durham game earlier in the season. Dominic Sibley is named in a Championship squad for the first time this season but Jason Roy is unavailable for selection due to a wrist injury that is being monitored by the medical staff. Matthew Dunn has a low grade hamstring strain and continues with his rehabilitation programme.
Ravi Rampaul,Mark Footitt and Jade Dernbach remain on the treatment table.
Sam Curran has detention
THE SURREY SQUAD TO PLAY SOMERSET AT TAUNTON IN THE SPECSAVERS COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP ON SATURDAY 28TH MAY, SUNDAY 29TH MAY, MONDAY 30TH MAY AND TUESDAY 31ST MAY :
Gareth Batty (capt)
Zafar Ansari
James Burke
Rory Burns
Tom Curran
Steven Davies
Ben Foakes
Arun Harinath
Stuart Meaker
Mathew Pillans
Kumar Sangakkara
Dominic Sibley
Gary Wilson
probably go for burke and sibley to miss out
over to you chaps

Yep totally agree Jimbo, be amazed if this side isn't

Burns
Harinath
Sanga
Davies
Wilson
Ansari
Foakes
Curran
Batty
Pillans
Meaker

Only thing is if Burns is still a bit concussed obviously Sibley will come in for him

Yep hard to see any other side. What's the betting on whether Pillans will take a wicket this time?

Church will be hoping Pillans gets a wicket. I'm sure he's already got the ''you must be delighted to get that monkey off your back'' interview prepared.

You guys are probably right about the eleven but I still wouldn't put money on it. Zaf for Burkey seems nailed on. However, I wouldn't totally rule out Sibley getting a game. Have Burns and also Foakes shaken off their recent knocks? Even assuming they have, not impossible either that Harinath could be rested.

Anyway, thanks for the thread, JimBob.

Side as expected.

Time for the batsmen to rediscover some form

Burns and harinath are not messing about

Spoke too soon

Jimbo!!

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Jimbo!!

I know I know olly

It's concerning that Burns and Harinath have regularly failed to get a decent partnership score. Apart from the unbroken 98 against Middlesex second dig (which admittedly was a fine effort in the circumstances), they haven't put on more than 41 together this season.

Taunton is a small ground which normally has a good track for batting. Feel a healthy score at the end of the day would be around 360/6. Let's see ....

Sanga just dropped by Allenby at first slip off J Overton. Strangely, Allenby is another of those cricketers who often puts in a good display against us. Mind you, I was having a nose on the Somerset Supporters (Grockles) forum last night - most of them seem convinced he's rubbish and must have something on head coach Matt Maynard to keep his place!

Allenby gets the baron that will please the grockles

Sibley has to start the next championship match

Cheers jimbob, I admire your optimism listing this as a 4 day game

That innings of 32 by the Baron was so typical of Surrey's batsmen this season. Not appalling but still very disappointing. Did the hard work but then failed to go on.

Another wkt for allenby

Making batting look hard on a flat track

Feel this partnership between Sanga and Davies is very important. IF (big 'if') they can get runs together, we could be 200 odd for 3 and looking good. However, a quick wicket after lunch and it's around 120/4 with us yet again playing catch up.

What's it to be??

The latter

Somerset will get at least 500 on this

What's that - about 115/4. Once again a catch up game, you don't win many of those. Looks like we'll be trying to scrape 2 batting points.

Davies

1st batting point

3 batsmen gone past 30 and not gone on

Son of Boris goes the last over before tea what a joke

You can make that 4 gone past 30 but not reached 50 as Zaf goes on the stroke of tea.

201/6. Now, JimBob, read this next bit behind the sofa ... in the last 3 matches at Taunton, the side batting first has averaged 498.

guildfordbat wrote:You can make that 4 gone past 30 but not reached 50 as Zaf goes on the stroke of tea.

201/6. Now, JimBob, read this next bit behind the sofa ... in the last 3 matches at Taunton, the side batting first has averaged 498.

thegooch7 wrote:Cheers jimbob, I admire your optimism listing this as a 4 day game

You should never get out to a spinner on day 1 of a championship match

TC

On the bright side, Pillans should have a chance to get a wicket today ...

BATTY

5 runs 4 wkts

Last 10 overs have produced 12-3!

kingdaveeagle wrote:Last 10 overs have produced 12-3!

What's your point dave

jimbobgooner wrote:

kingdaveeagle wrote:Last 10 overs have produced 12-3!

What's your point dave

236/8 as rain ends play 15 overs early.

Predictably we're left with trying to scrape a second batting point upon the resumption and then facing a game of catch up with only one likely winner.

Missed yesterday seems like the usual day one performance

Poor Foakes looking like he is gonna be left sheparding the tail again

50 partnership between Foakes and Pillans takes us past 250

All out for 264. Better than it looked at certain times, but still a very disappointing score, especially considering the ground. We need a couple of early wickets now to worry Somerset.

It does seem that this Taunton wicket has more in it than usual for the bowlers but, yes, still a disappointing score and another game of catch up beckons.

One thing that won't be different is the small size of the ground. Bowl badly and we'll suffer for sure.

Btw, credit to Pillans for his undefeated 30 odd. He hasn't delivered so far in his day job but he seems to be a battler at least and I like that.

Somerset making this look easy another game lost on the first day

Well if their slowey can take 4 for very little on the first day, just think what our 2 aces Batty and Ansari will do on a Taunton sticky dog?! The follow on beckons!

Not one no ball or wide bowled by Somerset in 92 overs. We're into the 13th and it's 8 already

Two quick wickets from Meaker and Batty.

The Bad news: Ansari is off the field with a thumb injury.

The Not So Totally Bad News: this time it's his other thumb, the right one on his non-bowling hand.

2nd wkt for Meaker will there be a twist in the tail?

Two Cidermen down for 50 odd. We are in with a sniff here.

The out of form Allenby* at 5, Trego a bit high at 6, the Overtons who are hit or bust around 7 and 8, Davies the keeper with an average below 9 at 9, and then tailenders Groenwald and Leach.

Really need Hildreth and the ever dangerous Rogers back in the hutch though and obviously not to let the others flourish. Probably wishing on a prayer but I'll take what I can atm!

* Beware though - Allenby's not in the Chris Read or, worryingly Chris Rogers class against Surrey but he often does well against us!

Hildreth went about the time I started my last post.

This could still clearly go belly up but we are currently back in this game. Some would even go so far as to say we've nudged in front.

Very much hope Zaf is ok - you would expect his role to be especially important 4th dig.