SURREY VS LEICESTERSHIRE LV= COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

SURREY HAVE NAMED A FOURTEEN-MAN SQUAD FOR THEIR HOME OPENER IN THE LV= COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP AGAINST LEICESTERSHIRE – TAKING PLACE AT THE KIA OVAL FROM THURSDAY APRIL 15 – SUNDAY APRIL 18.
Seamers Reece Topley and Gus Atkinson have been rested after last week’s trip to Bristol and replaced by West Indian seamer Kemar Roach and World Cup Winner Liam Plunkett. There are also spots for Matthew Dunn, Daniel Moriarty and Will Jacks, all of whom will be looking for their first start of the season.
All-rounder Rikki Clarke has been playing for the Second XI against Hampshire at Woodbridge Road in Guildford this week as he continues his return to full match fitness.
There is still no place in the squad for Conor McKerr, Ryan Patel, Laurie Evans or Jade Dernbach.
FULL SURREY SQUAD:
Rory Burns (captain)
Hashim Amla
Jordan Clark
Matthew Dunn
Ben Foakes (wk)
Will Jacks
Daniel Moriarty
Jamie Overton
Liam Plunkett
Ollie Pope
Kemar Roach
Jamie Smith
Mark Stoneman
Amar Virdi
No need to change the top six just yet.
Can understand Topley being rested with his injury record but there is no way that Atkinson hasn't been dropped.
Roach will definitely start and hopefully Dunn will start.
Overton and Clark are probably only playing for their batting which is very worrying hence why I don't want to see Plunkett join them in the team as well.
Over to you chaps

Cheers Jimbob

jimbobgooner wrote:
Overton and Clark are probably only playing for their batting which is very worrying hence why I don't want to see Plunkett join them in the team as well.

This worries me too. Overton at least has a point of difference - there are certain batsmen against whom he'd be more effective than the likes of Topley, Roach, etc. - but Clark feels like he's there to avoid having to decide between the extra batsman or extra bowler. Moriarty and Jacks to miss out tomorrow and I'll agree Dunn playing ahead of Plunkett too.

Cheers from me too, JimBob.

With you and James re worries and likely team.

Concerning as well that the seconds got well stuffed this week by Hants so there's no one strongly putting their hand up for a place.

Good to hear Clarke is on the mend
And that Roach is in the XI, big step up in quality over Atkinson

Leics win toss and inevitably bat. Pleasant day here 20 or so miles south of the ground, a few clouds but plenty of blue sky.

As we thought, Jacks, Moriarty and Plunkett miss out. Roach and Dunn to share the new ball.

Much tighter work by the opening bowlers today...been past the outside edge once or twice but the Leics openers playing comfortably for the most part

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Much tighter work by the opening bowlers today...been past the outside edge once or twice but the Leics openers playing comfortably for the most part

And so it has stayed up to lunch. 75/0.

Impressively solid and professional work by Zager and Evans (I'm hoping Goochie gets that! ). Surrey have bowled a lot better than at Bristol but so far without reward. Track providing no favours to them. It certainly was a good toss to win but credit to Leics for making sure they benefitted from it in the first session.

130 on the board before a wkt
wonder if they can find time Saturday for another minute silence for our Bowling attack

a wkt or is it a out? for Clark and Overton

An hour played today and Leics have advanced to 288/3.

We started the day behind but not out of it. I'm not sure if the latter is still the case.

Haven't watched every ball, had the game on while doing other things, but Virdi's looked like the only bowler consistently hitting good areas. Others have been a bit all over the place, except Dunn who bowled consistently a foot or two too short - almost a white ball 'hard length'.

James100 wrote:Haven't watched every ball, had the game on while doing other things, but Virdi's looked like the only bowler consistently hitting good areas. Others have been a bit all over the place, except Dunn who bowled consistently a foot or two too short - almost a white ball 'hard length'.

Also not watched every ball but a fair bit this session and go along with you, James. Dunn looking a bit drained as well. Also, Amla will need to justify his place with some runs as he's fielding like an old man.

Meanwhile, Ben Mike has just smashed a four and a six and then taken a single off Virdi in the 110th over to bring up a 4th batting point for Leics. JimBob will both approve and be infuriated at the same time!

Some decent quick bowling from Roach rewarded with a couple of spectacular wickets before lunch. Swindell's middle stump sent cartwheeling and a throat ball to Parkinson ended up being fenced to Overton at slip.

353/7 at the break. Fairly even session but Leics started ahead and so remain so. Given the placid track, it could be worse for Surrey but we shouldn't be having to say that against probably the worst first class county.

Leics 375 all out.

That's a good comeback from Surrey bowling on what is clearly a batting track and given the visitors were 298/3 about an hour before lunch. However, whilst Leics will rightly feel they've left runs out there, they've nonetheless put a total on the board ....

93 for 3 at tea

jimbobgooner wrote:93 for 3 at tea

To make it worse, all 3 batsmen getting out when they had got in and gone past 20.

Currently Leics have 5 bonus points to our 2. That shows who's doing best and is ahead.

There really is no excuse for all of our top six getting a hundred against this attack

The wicket keeper has just dropped one of the most easiest chances you will get

Abysmal drop by the Leicestershire keeper - Foakes on 38 at the time. Would’ve expected an u12 keeper to take that

50 for pope

Superb final session by Pope and Foakes has the game interestingly poised ahead of moving day tomorrow

Ollie Pope is good imo

Outstanding from Pope as he brings up his double ton just before the funeral tea. Valuable role being played by Smith as well.

95 ahead now. 6 wickets in hand and 48 overs left in the day. Weather and light good. We'll want a crack at them tonight. Assuming we don't get skittled and have the choice, how many overs do we give them? Thinking about 12 ....

I’d probably aim for between 6-8 overs tonight - enough to nab one wicket but have essentially still a new ball tomorrow.

Still a way to go to get there - especially with how we collapsed in Bristol once the batters lost their wickets.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:I’d probably aim for between 6-8 overs tonight - enough to nab one wicket but have essentially still a new ball tomorrow.

Still a way to go to get there - especially with how we collapsed in Bristol once the batters lost their wickets.

For sure as regards a possible Surrey collapse. Emphasises how valuable Smith's innings has been in keeping things going with Pope.

I'm pretty sure Virdi will be bowling tonight however many or few overs we get ....

well that was rather enjoyable
Dunn hit a six

Pitch is quite frankly, poor

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Pitch is quite frankly, poor

I agree about the track favouring the batsmen far too much but I haven't given up hope yet. A bit of Virdi magic and one might become two, etc.

Anyway, JimBob, I think we can safely say this is one we ain't going to lose ... get the bar ready!

guildfordbat wrote:I agree about the track favouring the batsmen far too much but I haven't given up hope yet. A bit of Virdi magic and one might become two, etc.

Anyway, JimBob, I think we can safely say this is one we ain't going to lose ... get the bar ready!

just 2 wkts taken so far today both by Clark
The groundman will have to do something different with the pitches otherwise we can expect to draw all home games.

jimbobgooner wrote:just 2 wkts taken so far today both by Clark
The groundman will have to do something different with the pitches otherwise we can expect to draw all home games.

Yes, the pitch is not what we or anyone should want. Not an even contest between bat and ball.

Victory looking a bridge too far from here.

Captain on

jimbobgooner wrote:Captain on

WHAT? Burns has given up or is taking the p*ss ... or both!

guildfordbat wrote:

jimbobgooner wrote:Captain on

WHAT? Burns has given up or is taking the p*ss ... or both!

Both

Well, that was a rubbish day.

Match drawn
no reason to sign roach if you are going to prepare pitches like that

jimbobgooner wrote:Match drawn
no reason to sign roach if you are going to prepare pitches like that  

No reason to play if you’re going to prepare pitches like that! Absolute shambles from the groundsman, 21 wickets in the game and a fair few of them were just the tails of both team gifting wickets away.

Evening all - anyone see how Hassan Azad batted at all? He averages 50 for Leics and 47 in FC cricket, and albeit this knock was not a flat pitch just wondered if he looked as good as his numbers suggest?

Only saw a bit of it JDizzle - pitch was a total dead pancake so not sure we got a fair reflection of his ability...looked a tidy player from what I saw but nothing special