SURREY VS SOMERSET SPECSAVERS COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

First topic message reminder :

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

Is it just me but thinking the next hour or so will have a massive impact on rest of season...lose this and it is very very hard to see us coming back....win it..and there is atleast hope...albeit still a massiv massive struggle!

Batty strikes 2 more needed

Slightly worried that Zaf has only bowled 9 overs - can't be 100%

Please not the 10th wkt stand

Plz bring Zaf on to bowl

Why do we always do this

WHY ISN'T ANSARI BOWLING?!?!??!

You know why olly he's crocked as normal

YESSSSSSS Meaker 1 to go

Foakes with a one handed stunner gets Overton off Meaker!!

Good old Meaker....1 more to get...for less than 30!

9 down.....don't bring Pillans on

Why is Pillans not bowling

jimbobgooner wrote:Please not the 10th wkt stand

Rest easy jimbob, the 9th wicket pair appear to be easing them home steadily enough: oh hang on, 9th wicket's down.

If we manage to close out an impossible defeat from here then I would be so bold as to say that the psychological downer and scars from such a defeat might prove to be season defining. If, however, we somehow hold our nerve and scrape home, the opposite effect could be season launching for us. What an amazingly critical day's play before even the end of May. Sheesh!

Take a look at @SomersetCCC's Tweet: https://twitter.com/SomersetCCC/status/737322311452217345?s=09

What an outrageous catch by Foakes!

Burns drops Leach. He'll doubly be hoping that Somerset can't make this now.

Rodney you plonker

16 toto win

15 to win.....bring on Pillans to get his first wicket and win the match for Surrey.....or maybe not

286-9, I can't stand this. Do we seriously not want to win a game this season? They were 237-8 with 9, Ten, Jack left to get the runs. Apart from the dropped catch, it's sounded like rather light and easy batting practice for them. I despair I despair I DESPAIR!!!!!

14 needed

SimonofSurrey wrote:286-9, I can't stand this. Do we seriously not want to win a game this season? They were 237-8 with 9, Ten, Jack left to get the runs. Apart from the dropped catch, it's sounded like rather light and easy batting practice for them. I despair I despair I DESPAIR!!!!!

Easy now Simon!!!

We need the Corporal to come to Surrey's rescue!

Why oh why has Ansari only bowled 9 overs he can't be crocked if he's still out there surely

chichestersurryfan wrote:Why is Pillans not bowling

Well here's his chance.

No we bring on the guy who has taken 1 wicket in 1500000 overs instead

6 to win

5 to win

Why is Pillans bowling? Seriously?

Really don't get why Pillans is bowling instead of TC.

4 needed

James100 wrote:Really don't get why Pillans is bowling instead of TC.

Utterly ridiculous decision isn't it James

3 needed

2 needed

Scores are level

How to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:

James100 wrote:Really don't get why Pillans is bowling instead of TC.

Utterly ridiculous decision isn't it James

I literally can't fathom the reasoning behind it. After Batty hasn't trusted him since the sixth over of the innings, it is a mystery why he suddenly thought Pillans was the best option with fifteen runs to defend.

Surrey Cricket you are an absolute shambles - absolute shambles

Need a wicket and you bring on the least threatening bowler probably in the history of the club - who on earth is making these stupid decisions

Utter utter sh*te

All over

Looking forward to Church just throwing statements about it being a great game to whoever fronts up to do the interview as his hair blows around as well

More chance of North Korea becoming a democracy than him asking a worthwhile hard line question that needs to be asked

Quite apt that they scored the winning run of Pillans, a 'bowler' so shockingly bad that he hasn't got a First Class average, cos you have to take a Frak wicket to earn it. So from a position of having them to follow on, we've lost, fair play to Somerset scoring over 300 in the 4th inns, but this is a desperately poor team certainly destined for Div 2 now

Cannot understand the Pillans choice and very much doubt I ever will.

Get pouring those pints Surrey of Simon (Jnr) and don't think about stopping!

guildfordbat wrote:Cannot understand the Pillans choice and very much doubt I ever will.

Get pouring those pints Surrey of Simon (Jnr) and don't think about stopping!

I stand by what I said. I will be amazed if we can recover confidence and belief from here in the 4 day format this season. This already feels to me like that season we went down without even looking like we'd win a game. What a shame: barely a month in and all our early season optimism of a decent fist of CC1 and, you never know, maybe even some England call ups, look like vastly over-upbeat assessments that have gone up in big flames.

PS: well done Somerset. Usually been a lovely bunch of people over the years. If we had to cave in inexplicably to anyone, it might as well be you.

Just to add - Batty overbowls TC in every game and then when it most matters relies upon the wicketless Pillans. Hope an explanation will be attempted.

I was always doubtful that 300 was enough. Apart from our incredibly fragile batting we were in effect one and a half bowlers short. Pillans is clearly not of the required standard at the moment, and Ansari was injured again.

Where we really lost it I feel was in our woeful second innings where every single run looked like an almighty effort. That swung the balance back to around even. Somerset have a fairly strong batting line up, and the chances were remote that Somerset would anywhere near as badly again.

SimonofSurrey wrote:

jimbobgooner wrote:Please not the 10th wkt stand

Rest easy jimbob, the 9th wicket pair appear to be easing them home steadily enough: oh hang on, 9th wicket's down.

If we manage to close out an impossible defeat from here then I would be so bold as to say that the psychological downer and scars from such a defeat might prove to be season defining. If, however, we somehow hold our nerve and scrape home, the opposite effect could be season launching for us. What an amazingly critical day's play before even the end of May. Sheesh!

I'm sure Rory Burns won't sleep well tonight

Think I'll go to my grave wondering why Pillans was bowling over Curran at the end of this game

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Think I'll go to my grave wondering why Pillans was bowling over Curran at the end of this game

Olly - I'm as bewildered as you and many others. I'm going to a members' forum at the Oval next week. I'll try to ask about the reason and will let you know how I get on.