SURREY VS MIDDLESEX LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

SURREY COUNTY CRICKET CLUB HAVE NAMED A SQUAD OF 14 FOR THIS WEEK’S TRIP TO LORD’S TO FACE MIDDLESEX IN THE LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP.
Gus Atkinson & Reece Topley return to the squad after being rested for last week’s Kia Oval draw with Leicestershire. Matt Dunn and Jamie Overton, who played in that match, are rested for this fixture with another six matches in six weeks to come before the white-ball block begins.
Rikki Clarke is added to the squad having played in 2nd XI cricket in recent weeks to prove his fitness.
There is still no place in the squad for Connor McKerr, Ryan Patel, Laurie Evans or Jade Dernbach
FULL SQUAD:
Rory Burns (c)
Hashim Amla
Gus Atkinson
Jordan Clark
Rikki Clarke
Ben Foakes
Will Jacks
Daniel Moriarty
Ollie Pope
Kemar Roach
Jamie Smith
Mark Stoneman
Reece Topley
Amar Virdi
Nice to have Rikki back in the Attack
Would be very surprised if the three to miss out aren't Atkinson, Jacks and Moriarty.
Over to you chaps

Cheers, JimBob.

Assuming Topley doesn't pick up an injury walking through the Lords' Long Room , I completely agree with you on the three to miss out.

Btw, I suspect that Dernbach's appearances from now will be confined to t20s and RL 50s.

Just to add that no one in the stiffs is pulling up trees and pushing for a place. They're on course to lose by an innings and plenty away to Essex tomorrow.

guildfordbat wrote:Just to add that no one in the stiffs is pulling up trees and pushing for a place. They're on course to lose by an innings and plenty away to Essex tomorrow.

Apart from the 2nd innings I had noticed that academy player Ben Geddes had being scoring runs in the friendly game against Hampshire and the 1st innings of this game.
Do you know much about him Guildford?

jimbobgooner wrote:

guildfordbat wrote:Just to add that no one in the stiffs is pulling up trees and pushing for a place. They're on course to lose by an innings and plenty away to Essex tomorrow.

Apart from the 2nd innings I had noticed that academy player Ben Geddes had being scoring runs in the friendly game against Hampshire and the 1st innings of this game.
Do you know much about him Guildford?

Yeah, I had also noticed that Geddes had been getting runs until yesterday. He's a young lad who has played at various under age levels for Surrey and, I think, is now an Academy player. He's not on the professional staff (not yet anyway). Shortly before this season started, Surrey had an intra squad game amongst the professionals and he played in that - probably to both make the numbers up and to give him a bit of experience. Anyway, although I've not seen any scores for that game, he's reported to have played well in it.

That's about it for what I know of him. Seems like one to look out for. I'll let you know if I hear any more.

Surrey XI as expected. What is a surprise though - to me anyway - is that Middlesex put us in after winning the toss.

Anyway, that's the first part of my two-part masterplan achieved. 1 - bat first. 2 - bat until 25 minutes before tea on day two.

The Middlesex bowlers probably won't help us as much with part 2 as their new skipper Aussie Handscomb did with part 1! They've got a good attack. Very reliable with the likes of Duty's boy Bamber plus Murtagh and Roland-Jones. No place for Finn or Helm. Spinner Hollman makes his debut - be handy if we can get after him and fourth seamer Andersson.

The second part of my masterplan not looking too healthy as Burns and Amla are back in the hutch within 20 minutes of the start. Both falling to the veteran and ever reliable ex-Surrey man Murtagh.

Customary Surrey disappointing batting performance on a wicket with a little in it, I see

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Customary Surrey disappointing batting performance on a wicket with a little in it, I see

Exactly. 88/4 at lunch. We haven't lost the match yet but are certainly playing catch up now. Vital we win the next session.

Impressive showing by Middlesex spearheaded by Murtagh (8 overs on the reel from the start bringing him 2/15) and Roland-Jones (8 overs in 2 spells giving him 2/17). Some smart low catches behind and at slip as well.

Surrey have quickly taken the draw out of the equation....batted lads

Pitch inspection squad to be sent to lords

Haven't watched any today, spicy pitch, poor batting, bit of both?

James100 wrote:Haven't watched any today, spicy pitch, poor batting, bit of both?

very green pitch

James100 wrote:Haven't watched any today, spicy pitch, poor batting, bit of both?

I watched most of the morning but nothing after that. Pitch seemed to be playing fine in that opening session. Did wonder if something was up though when Handscomb put us in.

Cheers guys. Just watched the highlights and the Amla wicket in particular jagged massively off the seam. Not the pitch you'd want to run into Murtagh and Roland-Jones on!

James100 wrote:Cheers guys. Just watched the highlights and the Amla wicket in particular jagged massively off the seam. Not the pitch you'd want to run into Murtagh and Roland-Jones on!

Murtagh was at his most Murtaghesque in that over! He almost had Amla lbw first ball but the batsman was saved by an edge.

Middlesex 268 all out
Need to bat long now

rocky gone

Amla goes 1st ball

Amla and Roach look good young signings

thegooch7 wrote:Amla and Roach look good young signings

wait until they get to stevens age before judging Gooch

Pope goes to the awful Anderson

50 for Burns

Just as he did in the opening match against Glos, Pope has looked totally in command in both digs and then got out sloppily.

So it could be said we start a one innings game with 3 wickets down and a score of minus 9.

As Goochie posted mid-afternoon yesterday, the draw is out of the equation! Not impossible for us to win from here but extremely difficult and maddening that yet again we are in such a position.

Haven't watched much of the last two days but from what I've seen of it and the other two matches this season, I'm not overly impressed by Burns' captaincy. In particular, Virdi seemed late into the action yesterday and under used.

Good chance for Burns to cement an England slot with a hundred today - could do with a few just to remind the selectors he’s about!

Thought we bowled well on the whole - lots more control from the seamers this time

Surrey have chosen the collapse by lunch option then

Surrey effectively 10/7 and Topley comes to the wicket with a f c average south of 5.

Keep the engine running, JimBob!

Surrey lose by 10 wickets. Shameful performance.

Very serious questions need to be asked and addressed about many aspects.

Commiserations to you Surrey chaps...bit of a horror game for your boys. It happens.

But I am happy to see Roland-Jones back and taking wickets. He had some rotten luck with injury just when he was putting his hand up for a regular Test spot and he's basically been forgotten about since. Probably too late for him now , with a lot of younger men bowling well ; but still nice to see him playing his part for Middlesex.

TRJ is a quality bowler but like you say too old now to even contemplate recalling. Was sensational on debut against South Africa.

my thoughts on the game