SURREY VS SOMERSET SPECSAVERS COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

Surrey have made one change to their 14-man squad for the upcoming Specsavers County Championship match with Somerset, starting at Guildford CC on Monday.
Left arm spinner Freddie van den Bergh replaces Gus Atkinson in an otherwise unchanged group from Thursday’s defeat to Warwickshire at Edgbaston.
Sam Curran (hamstring) and Conor McKerr (heel) will sit out their second consecutive match while Jade Dernbach (calf) and Amar Virdi (side) are working back to full fitness.
FULL SQUAD
Rory Burns (c)
Gareth Batty
Scott Borthwick
Jordan Clark
Rikki Clarke
Matt Dunn
Dean Elgar
Ben Foakes
Will Jacks
Morne Morkel
Ryan Patel
Jamie Smith
Mark Stoneman
Freddie van den Bergh
Freddie and Jamie will be on drinks duty, so the only decision will be wherever to start Clark instead of Patel?
Because of the success Patel had there last year you would think he would just edge it.
Over to you chaps

Cheers for the thread, JimBob.

Some of the regulars are moaning about Stoneman's lack of runs and pushing for Smith to be called in, probably with Elgar moving up to open. Whilst Stoneman certainly needs a score, I can't see him being binned yet.

Slightly surprised Fred is back in the squad. I've no inside info but I doubt that it'll be a 2 spinner track. If it is, Dunn's place could be in trouble.

All in all, I agree with you about Fred and Smith being on drinks duty. Almost definitely a shoot out between Clark and Patel as to who joins them. Patel has history - well, last year's game - on his side but I'll have a punt on Clark making his Surrey CC debut and edging Patel out. One thing in Clark's favour is that I could see him tonking a few at this small ground.

Is Batty too tired to play after doing a lap of honour following each wicket in the last game?

Gooseberry wrote:Is Batty too tired to play after doing a lap of honour following each wicket in the last game?

Without wishing to rain on Goose's adequately amusing joke , a fitness doubt over Batty would explain Fred's inclusion.

guildfordbat wrote:

Gooseberry wrote:Is Batty too tired to play after doing a lap of honour following each wicket in the last game?

Without wishing to rain on Goose's adequately amusing joke , a fitness doubt over Batty would explain Fred's inclusion.

That was what I was alluding to!

Gooseberry wrote:

guildfordbat wrote:

Gooseberry wrote:Is Batty too tired to play after doing a lap of honour following each wicket in the last game?

Without wishing to rain on Goose's adequately amusing joke , a fitness doubt over Batty would explain Fred's inclusion.

That was what I was alluding to!

I thought you were but I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to spell it out and have a gentle pop!

Yeah I think it makes sense to bring Jordan Clark in for this game - speaking of Clarke's, I note Rikki was in Madrid on Saturday night watching his Spurs lose...hopefully he hasn't taken it too badly!

Well Patel plays ahead of Clark, an unchanged XI from last week

Somerset contest a toss, which they win and bat first, but the first hour you'd have to say goes to Surrey - 47-3 off 15 overs, with Trescothick and Hildreth back in the hutch, one wicket for each seamer so far.

Banton the big wicket now, looks in good touch

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Well Patel plays ahead of Clarke, an unchanged XI from last week

Somerset contest a toss, which they win and bat first, but the first hour you'd have to say goes to Surrey - 47-3 off 15 overs, with Trescothick and Hildreth back in the hutch, one wicket for each seamer so far.

Banton the big wicket now, looks in good touch

You shocked me for a moment with that "e" Olly!

Great start for Surrey, dare I say the wheels are back on the hype wagon

And the 2nd hour is Somerset's, 100-3 at lunch. Patel has been expensive so far

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote: Patel has been expensive so far

Shouldnt have dropped Clarke then

Dunn gets Banton

A second hundred of the season for George Bartlett. Looks another talented lad. Hope he can turn this into a big one.

JDizzle wrote:A second hundred of the season for George Bartlett. Looks another talented lad. Hope he can turn this into a big one.

Bartlett dropped 1st ball makes me

136 runs too many

344 all out
2 overs left tonight

survived the 2 overs

Our day yesterday but now need to make it count. I'll try to write more tonight.

Just seen the rocky dismissal

another awful day

jimbobgooner wrote:Just seen the rocky dismissal

I promise you it was even worse seeing it at the ground. Today is Jack Brooks' birthday - what a present!

guildfordbat wrote:

jimbobgooner wrote:Just seen the rocky dismissal

I promise you it was even worse seeing it at the ground. Today is Jack Brooks' birthday - what a present!

I feel your pain

It was a good day yesterday. Decent batting conditions with a lightning fast outfield but we didn't let them get away. Fine bowling from Dunn, Morkel and Clarke much of the time. Tidy fielding as well but one massively expensive blunder. Clarke put down a regulation chance offered first ball from Bartlett off the unlucky Dunn. As anyone reading this will know, Bartlett then went on to score a ton.

It wasn't just his runs that have caused us a major problem. His time at the crease meant we didn't get to bat until the very end of day one. Come the start of the second day and we're facing the still new ball under dark clouds - a very different kettle of fish from 24 hours earlier. The Overington brothers and Brooks bowled well but Stoneman, Burns and Elgar all got out too quickly and, in Stoneman's case, stupidly as well. Borthwick and Foakes lessened the pain but not enough. Patel and Jacks did well to see us to stumps.

Forecast is much better for tomorrow. If Jacks gets set, I feel he could go big at this small ground. We really need that if we are to get back in this game with any sort of shout.

Anyone keeping close eye on proceedings at Guildford today.

Been otherwise occupied this morning and just looked at the score to a nice (for me) surprise.

Whats the situation - is it a bowlers dream there today, with plenty of cloud or poor batting?

Should imagine Guildford will give us a report later - but fair to say definitely Somerset's morning!

Surrey are bowling themselves a glimmer of hope by the looks of it ...well Dunn and Morkel maybe not Clarke!

TBF getting Banger out cheapily is not a sign of the bowling these days. He must be close to losing his place, with Banton replacing him at the top of the order

Career best figures for Dunn 5 for 43
267 to win

This game rests on the rest of this session IMO.

Forecast is much brighter tomorrow, so if you guys can get through to close relatively unscathed, then you would fancy your chances tomorrow.

If we can make a big dent in the top order, then we would fancy our chances

rocky

Somerset big favourites still for me - not often you best your 1st innings score last dig, and scores are going down in the game too

Albeit Guildford is a small ground, so Somerset will need to bowl tightly

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Somerset big favourites still for me - not often you best your 1st innings score last dig, and scores are going down in the game too

Albeit Guildford is a small ground, so Somerset will need to bowl tightly

But I think batting conditions tomorrow will be so much better than today, that it will much easier to score than you had in the first innings

Will the baron get a recall?

Oh no Burns goes with only 4 overs left

stumps 168 to win 8 wkts left

The Corporal is on his holidays..but in the unlikely event that Surrey win I’ll happily declare the bar open I know it is a cliche....but I’d much rather have runs on the board! And given Surrey’s fragility in the batting dept in the last couple of matches, I know where my money is on....credit to the lads though for a battling performance atleast today....possibly our best day of the season so far, albeit that is not saying much!

Cracking game setup tomorrow - credit to the bowlers once more for another excellent performance, can the batsmen come to the party for once?

Afro wrote:Anyone keeping close eye on proceedings at Guildford today.

Been otherwise occupied this morning and just looked at the score to a nice (for me) surprise.

Whats the situation - is it a bowlers dream there today, with plenty of cloud or poor batting?

Yep, was there today. Gutted I can't make it tomorrow.

Not a bowlers dream but a definite green top from the start of the match and still so at the end of today, offering opportunities for the seamers. Especially when the sky clouds over as it did yesterday and for some of today. The quick men can also extract lift from the pitch. However, as Olly said, it's a small ground and the outfield is fast, although not as fast as day one due to all the rain on day two. Consequently, anything too wide of off peg or too far down leg can expect to go racing to the rope. In short - bowl well and you should get rewards, bowl badly and you can expect to be punished. That's fair enough in my book.

Dunn bowled incredibly well today and thoroughly deserved his fivefer. He had a great duel with Hildreth this afternoon - at one point, the Ciderman played and missed twice in succession and then ran for his life to steal a single and get off strike! Morkel was also back on song - he's maintained his pace this season but hasn't always seemed to have his rhythm. That was back today along with the rising delivery - watch his caught and bowled on the Club website, great stuff! The Overtons and Brooks have also used the conditions well.

A real blow for Surrey losing Burns close to the end. Batsmen need to really apply themselves in this game - and he was doing so - but if they do, there is the potential to take advantage of the short boundaries and fast outfield. As Olly will surely know, I disapproved strongly of sending Batty in as nightwatchman. He was almost out to the last ball of the day with a totally inappropriate swing and a miss at Brooks. I fear he'll go early tomorrow to perk Somerset up further.

How do I call it? Very tight is my answer. Sorry if that's too obvious but it is the case imho. I actually think that we might just do it. One thing in our favour is that the ball is now 30 odd overs old and there's been little encouagement in the track for Leach - none of the 32 wickets to fall so far have been to spin. We will though need to bat intelligently and look to the proper batsmen to do the job. If we go 7 down tomorrow, I would expect the tail to cave given the wicket and the quality of the bowling we'll be facing.

Good report Guildford, struggling today as the walking wicket Elgar goes for no runs......again

Thanks Guildford.

Not a good start for Surrey as Jack Brooks looks like he is up for it today.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Cracking game setup tomorrow - credit to the bowlers once more for another excellent performance, can the batsmen come to the party for once?

No they can't. Disgusting performance

Mostly been good bowling and a great catch from Banger to get Foakes.

Only really Elgar that has been a poor shot. TimmyGs delivery to get Borthwick was a cracker

Well played again lads, just lasted 90 mins today

Afro wrote:Mostly been good bowling and a great catch from Banger to get Foakes.

Only really Elgar that has been a poor shot. TimmyGs delivery to get Borthwick was a cracker

There's good bowling, then there's losing 46-8 in 17.2 overs. Congratulations to Somerset, the clear better side, but absolutely shocking from Surrey

G’wan the Cidermen!

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:

Afro wrote:Mostly been good bowling and a great catch from Banger to get Foakes.

Only really Elgar that has been a poor shot. TimmyGs delivery to get Borthwick was a cracker

There's good bowling, then there's losing 46-8 in 17.2 overs. Congratulations to Somerset, the clear better side, but absolutely shocking from Surrey

Haven’t seen the wickets from Jacks onwards but yeah, you aren’t wrong.

Disgusting performance again! What has happened to Surrey? Can't just blame the absences.

Normal service resumed at Guildford....last year was very much an abberation The bar is open for folk to drown their sorrows....very much as I feared...always prefer runs on the board in these sorts of situations especially with such a fragile batting line up at the moment! Congratulations to Somerset..sounds like on the whole a thoroughly deserved victory!

Crumbs....

Rocky and Elgar shouldn't be in the squad for the next game