surrey vs middlesex county Championship

Team Director Chris Adams has named a thirteen man squad for the LV=County Championship match against Middlesex at Lord’s which starts on Thursday.
Arun Harinath has recovered from his hand injury that kept him out of the game against Sussex last week. Jon Lewis comes into the squad to replace Stuart Meaker who has still not recovered from the thigh injury he sustained in the opening game of the season against Somerset.
The Surrey squad to play Middlesex in the LV=County Championship at Lord’s on Thursday 2nd May, Friday 3rd May, Saturday 4th May and Sunday 5th May :
Graeme Smith (capt)
Rory Burns
Arun Harinath
Vikram Solanki
Zander de Bruyn
Steven Davies
Gary Wilson
Gareth Batty
Gary Keedy
Jon Lewis
Chris Tremlett
Tim Linley
Jade Dernbach

Excellent work as always, JimBob. Many thanks.

I've been discussing the possible starting eleven with Shelsey (not a bad lad for a Middlesex follower ) on the ''Surrey news and articles'' thread.

Pardon my cynicism but I believe Keedy has only been included in the squad because he's an expensive new signing. I think there's very little chance of him playing.

The other one to miss out is far more difficult to call. I'll say Dernbach although it could be any one of the seamers or even Batty. According to our spy on the inside at Lord's, Shelsey, Middlesex have left Rayner out of their squad which strongly suggests they don't think it's a spinners' wicket.

Regulars will be well aware of my views on Lewis's inclusion.

Bad news about Meaker Middlesex bowling line up looks more convincing.

Surrey leave Lewis and Keedy out from the squad, whilst Middlesex leave London out from their squad.

Sadly I'm not at Lord's this week (exams), but if you can't get to the ground or listen to the commentary I'd urge you to follow Harry Kemble's updates on the DEC blog (link on the 'County Championship Round 4' thread. Ta.

Well done again jimbob!
Another poor start, although as I type, 2 boundaries have 'moved' us on to 15-1
Good luck with your exams Shelsey...............but not to the Middle!

Tobias Skelton is thrown the cherry

Very slow scoring so far, but reports that Middx haven't particularly threatened either. Perhaps this wasn't the match to leave Rayner out for...

afternoon all painful stuff from surrey this they must not want to get any batting points

IS the score correct??? Just checked it for the first time and we going at 1.8 an over???

MuchHappierSurreyFan wrote:IS the score correct??? Just checked it for the first time and we going at 1.8 an over???

50 for third degree

Well done Burns,

I think any fans there today should be given a refund??

Jimbob do you know if its to do with the conditions?? We were slow in our first two games as well though not this slow.
Smith out for a duck

no idea muchhappier shelsey said earlier that the bowling wasn't particularly threatening.
cant help but think the lack of bonus points will cost us in september

I have just seen the full line up.... are we really playing 6 frontline bowlers???

Can somebody please explain what is happening here I feel something is underfoot

Cancel the last I was looking at the 13 man squad and had a bit of a moment

100 up in the 53rd over

50 for the baron

I can only go by the last pitch (v Derbyshire). On the first two days the scoring in that match was painfully slow, and the players I spoke to - Tim Murtagh and Sam Robson - both emphasised that the pitch was a bit sluggish. However, as the match went on it quickened up for some reason...

SUrrey run rate now over 2

To be fair to Burns and Harunath the run rate for the last tenovers is just under 4 so they are trying to up it

Shelsey93 wrote:I can only go by the last pitch (v Derbyshire). On the first two days the scoring in that match was painfully slow, and the players I spoke to - Tim Murtagh and Sam Robson - both emphasised that the pitch was a bit sluggish. However, as the match went on it quickened up for some reason...

cheers shelsey

burns dropped by simpson for the 2nd time,harinath dropped by finn within 4 overs of each other

144 for 1 at tea third degree and the baron making the most of some butterfingers

1000 runs in 1st class cricket for third degree

100 for third degree

Mixed feelings. Judging by season so far Surrey seem absolutely determined to shed the actuality and reputation of batting casually. Responsibility seems the watchword. Ken Barrington definitely resting easily....

But will we put ourselves in position to win any matches?

Third degree building some Impressive stats.

Very good day in the end despite the two wickets at the end. I understand the corporal's concern about run rate but in the end 2.78 isn't too bad and apart from the opening session it was pretty healthy. I'm much happier having a top order who will dig in, concentrate and prize their wickets than the massive inconsistency and 'dashers' we have seen in the past. The likes of Solanki and Davies will generally up the scoring rate when they get themselves in too.

Third Degree has started the season superbly, passed 1000 runs and approaching an average of 50, really can't argue with those stats, the lad is a bit special, clearly has an excellent temperament too.

In the interview on Surrey website Burns describes the wicket as slow and "tennis bally", implying I think that slow scoring rate was very much to be expected. May not bode too well for a positive result in the match. But as Carrot suggests we have to applaud the way the batsmen stuck to the task.

Let's hope the pitch gets worse after we've finished our innings!

Very good day for Surrey I think. Scoring rate not ideal but 267 isn't terrible on a slow pitch. Very impressed by Burns this season.

From a Middlesex perspective perhaps the wrong game not to pick the spinner.

I was expecting to hear about a seamer's paradise after the side you picked but I am glad now that Surrey still have Batty to call on. Surrey have to be careful in the morning that 267/4 doesn't become 300 all out but we should be aiming for 350+, hopefully The Brain can get himself a 50 - He's the only one of the top 7 who hasn't so far which is very good going you would say.

3-1 to Surrey in bonus points at Half Time!
The Cricinfo over ticker looks like an extract of binary code..........all ones and zeroes!!

Surrey all out for 338, a bit of a collapse this morning. Still a higher total than anyone managed in the last match at Lord's though, and it will take some batting to set up a winning position.

excellent bowling from surrey this afternoon

Sounds like an excellent bowling performance by Surrey. The rest of our first innings was pretty painful tho we did at least scrape a third batting point.

But two wickets for the Brain.... There must be some help for the bowlers if 15 wickets went down today. Crucially we got out Roland - Jones who usually scores heavily against us. Looks like there's going to be a result but we can't afford to relax even in the slightest.

sounds like an excellent perfomance today... My sense of foreboding about ex surrey players playing well against in the London Deby has not come to fruition thus far... Wonder if Surrey would enforce the follow on? Weather forecast is pretty good so would imagine they'd bat again and try and get a lead of 350 or so.. and skittle Middx out on the last day... well here's hoping!

Carrotdude wrote:Very good day in the end despite the two wickets at the end. I understand the corporal's concern about run rate but in the end 2.78 isn't too bad and apart from the opening session it was pretty healthy. I'm much happier having a top order who will dig in, concentrate and prize their wickets than the massive inconsistency and 'dashers' we have seen in the past.

Wise words from Carrot

Difficult to see how Middlesex get much out of this game now... will need some heroics with the second time round.

Need a top performance from Surrey today to keep a grip on the match.

Seems to have been a very good performance by Surrey so far. Nearly all of the sessions to us. The only one Middlesex clearly won was yesterday morning. Disappointing that Davies and de Bruyn couldn't kick on and that the tail left Wilson high and dry. Anyway, massive credit - again - to Burns for his innings against a very impressive seam attack which began - again - in difficult circumstances with the very early loss of Smith.

Praise as well to Harinath for a valuable supporting role. I'm surprised, pleased and frustrated by Solanki at the same time. He's made a lot more runs than I expected (averaging over 50, I think - Carrot, got exact stats please?). And with some style when I've seen him - lovely cover drives. However, he's regularly got out after having done the hard work and appearing well set. Same again here.

From the reports, a very good team bowling performance yesterday with a bit of help from some of the Middlesex batsmen. An impressive stat for us (and in marked contrast to last year) - in the 63 overs we bowled, we didn't concede a single extra.

My first concern now is the weather. Very grey and a bit drizzly at the moment 25 moiles south of Lord's. With the weather to possibly play a part and the danger of running out of time, I would enforce the follow on assuming we achieve that opportunity. That isn't without some risk - say, having to make 120 on the final day batting last on a deteriorating pitch ....

Well what a nice surprise, I left the score at 94 for three and woke up today to see that we had them on the ropes facing the follow on!!!
Really hoping Dernbach continues in this form of the game as he has always been seen as a one day player.

Guildford the weather down hear in Haywards Heath is a bit overcast with a spot of drizzle but when I check the forecast yesterday it said the weekend would be dry but cloudy which if holds true may well help us to get the second ten wickets which with us is not a foregone conclusion!!!

middlesex 166 all out
surrey have enforced the follow on middlesex trail by 172

The Brain took the final wicket to finish with 3 - 32.

Been out all morning so I assume that fair bit of play was lost and early lunch taken as they are up and running again. 34 - 0 in second innings - can't afford to be chasing a big total....

Surrey could do with a wicket or two soon... otherwise the balance of the match could shift dramatically.... a re-run of last year with Surrey facing an awkward total of say 150 - 170 to win and then getting the jitters?

Major turnaround today. Get even - about 40 more runs - before losing a wicket and you've got to think Middlesex have as good a chance to win as Surrey, if not better.

Middx now in the lead. Still 0 down. Rogers on 83 and Robson 89.

234 for 0 now - said we didn't have the bowlers to get teams out twice. Why don't Surrey ever address this?

The Brain strikes - several hours too late..... And one for Dernbach.

I can do no better than the words of Jimmy Greaves regarding football: "Funny old game."

Tomorrow could be one of those situations where Middlesex can do with a bit of a collapse. I doubt they'll declare with enough time left to realistically force a win, but if they're bowled out with a lead of 200-ish and the best part of two sessions then who knows?

After two throughly excellent days yesterday can only be described as completely awful from a Surrey point of view, all that hard work undone by a lack of ability to take wickets and excellent batting from yet another person who always does well against Surrey (that's 3 out of 3 for them so far this season).

Tremlett now has combined figures from 3 innings of 2-157, he needs to step up (as do the rest of course but he's a Test match bowler).