SURREY VS DURHAM SPECSAVERS COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

SURREY HAVE NAMED A FOURTEEN MAN SQUAD FOR THEIR FINAL SPECSAVERS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME OF THE SEASON AGAINST DURHAM AT THE EMIRATES RIVERSIDE STARTING ON MONDAY.
Jason Roy returns to the squad after playing in the recent One Day and T20 Series for England against Pakistan and Zafar Ansari is named in the squad after missing the last two Championship games with a back injury.
There is no place in the squad this time for Amar Virdi or Gary Wilson
The Surrey squad to play Durham in the Specsavers County Championship at the Emirates Riverside on Monday 12th September, Tuesday 13th September, Wednesday 14th September and Thursday 15th September:
Gareth Batty (capt)
Zafar Ansari
Rory Burns
Sam Curran
Tom Curran
Steven Davies
Ben Foakes
Mark Footitt
Arun Harinath
Stuart Meaker
Ravi Rampaul
Jason Roy
Kumar Sangakkara
Dominic Sibley
good luck anyone who predicts the three to miss out
As i'm first i'll try Harinath,Meaker and TC
Over to you chaps

Would have liked to seen Virdi given a game now we're safe tbh - need a plan post Batty, and would be a good chance for the youngster.

But anyways onto the team itself...for me I would go with...

Burns
Ansari
Sanga
Davies
Roy
Foakes
S Curran
T Curran
Batty
Meaker
Footitt

So Harinath, Sibley and Ravioli to miss out for me.

Makes sense Olly. But if the rumours of Davies's departure to Somerset are true, we might as well play Sibley as opener, with an eye to the future, alongside First Degree, and drop Zaf down the order.

If Davies doesn't play, I sincerely hope he makes the RLODC Final this Saturday so the Surrey support gets one last chance to salute his contribution to the club, including loyally through some difficult years.

Cheers, JimBob.

Could be any of half a dozen who miss out but my wild guesses are Sibley and Meaker together with perhaps the skipper himself choosing to put his feet up - you don't need two spinners at Durham in mid-September.

Btw, thanks to James and Olly for their input as to the Surrey awards on the other thread. Hope to hear from a few others.

Di Venuto et al. don't seem to be too keen on resting players, so I'm expecting a full strength side. Probably Olly's side though it would be a shame for Sibley to miss out.

Durham win toss and bat.

Surrey leave out Harinath, Davies and Rampaul - ie none of the 3 who I suggested, I'll get my coat!

Seems a pretty clear sign Davies won't be signing a new Surrey contact for next year. A full strength side apart from that.

James - it's actually quite tricky to slot Davies into the side when all are available and we want to play 4 seamers and 2 spinners.

If he loses out to Roy at number 5, Davies' only other way of getting a place is if Sibley is left out, Ansari opens and Davies takes over from Ansari at 4. However, having a frontline bowler as an opening bat is not ideal.

Even assuming Davies isn't with us next season, selection will then still become more problematic with Stoneman and apparently Borthwick in the mix. Sanga's contract is up this season but talks are underway to try and twist his arm for another year. In many ways a nice problem to have - although I could understand Harinath and probably Sibley not seeing it that way.

Guildford - from this season's form I'd pick Davies over Roy in FC cricket.

Borthwick coming to Surrey may mean Batty having to step down as captain, at least for some early season matches. On non-spinning decks it would be hard to justify three spinners in the side and Ansari and Borthwick should get in on their batting (or Borthwick on his batting and Ansari as an all-rounder).

James - it'll be interesting to see how much opportunity Surrey give Borthwick as a bowler.

Lunch. Durham 110/2 with both Surrey men out.

Depriving Davies of 1,000 championship runs is a low blow in my eyes

SimonofSurrey wrote:Makes sense Olly. But if the rumours of Davies's departure to Somerset are true, we might as well play Sibley as opener, with  an eye to the future, alongside First Degree, and drop Zaf down the order.

If Davies doesn't play, I sincerely hope he makes the RLODC Final this Saturday so the Surrey support gets one last chance to salute his contribution to the club, including loyally through some difficult years.

Ta-dah! I called the first bit right
Here's hoping the Surrey selectors agree with me on the second bit, too. I so hope that if Davies and Surrey are to part company at the end of this season, it's announced before Saturday and he gets selected for a worthy send off from the county to whom he's given so much through seven sometimes turbulent years. On his day, and as recently as this year's semi final, he's still a cracking one day talent.

jimbobgooner wrote:Depriving Davies of 1,000 championship runs is a low blow in my eyes

Yeah, that's ruined my week.

Anyway, afternoon JimBob.

220 - 5.  Durham rattling along at speed, but have just lost a 5th wicket, Collingwood.  Ansari getting some bowling in - expensive so far, but hopefully he will settle.

226 - 6 and a third wicket for Footitt. Jennings, however, still going strong.

Now 232 - 7 and a fourth for Footitt.  So that's a decent recovery from Surrey in this last period.

guildfordbat wrote:

jimbobgooner wrote:Depriving Davies of 1,000 championship runs is a low blow in my eyes

Yeah, that's ruined my week.

Anyway, afternoon JimBob.

Afternoon Guildford

Footitt pushing Meaker for a place at Lords

Lower order batsmen proving a problem as usual. Agree about Davies - poor decision to omit him. Out of interest, this talk of Somerset wanting him - is this to replace Buttler while he's with England?

kingdaveeagle wrote:Lower order batsmen proving a problem as usual. Agree about Davies - poor decision to omit him. Out of interest, this talk of Somerset wanting him - is this to replace Buttler while he's with England?

Oi! DAVE! D-A-V-E!! DD-AAAA-VVVVV-EEEEEE!!!!

Wake up mate, you've been asleep a veeery long time: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/24302121

200 for jennings

Ooops. In my defence I don't really care for any county other than Surrey!

We signed the wrong opener

jimbobgooner wrote:200 for jennings

And no other batsman got to 40!

Hugely disappointing to have 'em on the ropes on 232/7 and see 'em end up almost 400/9. Got to take your hat off to Jennings, I guess.

Batty and Ansari's combined analysis reads 16/1/64/0. It'll need to be a lot better than that second time around to justify packing two spinners for this one.

kingdaveeagle wrote:Ooops. In my defence I don't really care for any county other than Surrey!

Don't worry about it, King Dave.

The background basically is that Somerset appear to have a reasonably decent young keeper in Ryan Davies (no relation) but he's really struggled with the bat. Consequently, they're after a keeper who can get them a few runs as well.
Meanwhile, our Davies woke up one morning during the winter and decided he wanted to be a keeper again. That was despite him feeling unable to do that job for the last couple of years (the job he was originally signed and paid to do) and our having signed Ben Foakes to do it in the meantime whilst our Davies concentrated on his batting as his fancy took him then.
Our Davies also now wants to be England's keeper but, with a rare bit of realism, appreciates that might be tricky if he's not keeping for a county side. His contract is now up with Surrey and he's (apparently) just turned down the offer of a new 2 year deal with us so he can go somewhere else and do what he didn't want to do with us for the last two years and then begin his Test career.

No doubt his supporters will tell you and me if I've got anything wrong.

5 wkts for Footitt

Morning Jimbob.  Was just thinking Footitt would have been strong contender for Surrey's player of the season if he had been played in a few more matches and performed at his current / recent level.

1,000 championship runs for kumar

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:Morning Jimbob.  Was just thinking Footitt would have been strong contender for Surrey's player of the season if he had been played in a few more matches and performed at his current / recent level.

Combine his end of season stats with those of Rampaul at the start and we would have a world beater in Mark Ravioli!

75/1 at lunch in response to Durham's 402 all out.

Decent enough morning for us although we can't afford any big blips in sessions two and three.

guildfordbat wrote:75/1 at lunch in response to Durham's 402 all out.

Decent enough morning for us although we can't afford any big blips in sessions two and three.

Two gone in four balls - 100-3!

kingdaveeagle wrote:

guildfordbat wrote:75/1 at lunch in response to Durham's 402 all out.

Decent enough morning for us although we can't afford any big blips in sessions two and three.

Two gone in four balls - 100-3!

A lot now resting on Ansari and Roy. They both still have a (small?) chance of getting a place in England's Test squad this winter.

In some ways quite a frustrating season for Sibley. He has occupied the crease for long periods and has done just enough to tie down the opening slot alongside Burns since he came back into the side. But he does seem to have difficulty in building a substantial innings.  Wonder whether he will slip into shadows when Stoneman arrives or whether he may do enough to merit a place, perhaps lower down the order.

The batting line up might be a bit "samey" if we had both Sibley and Ansari in the middle order - we might get terminally bogged down.

151 - 3 and a 50* partnership between Roy  and Ansari.

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:In some ways quite a frustrating season for Sibley. He has occupied the crease for long periods and has done just enough to tie down the opening slot alongside Burns since he came back into the side. But he does seem to have difficulty in building a substantial innings.  Wonder whether he will slip into shadows when Stoneman arrives or whether he may do enough to merit a place, perhaps lower down the order.

The batting line up might be a bit "samey" if we had both Sibley and Ansari in the middle order - we might get terminally bogged down.

Spot on, Corporal.

With a top 7 maybe like below at the start of next season, going to be hard for Sibley -

1. Burns
2. Stoneman
3. Sanga (if he signs for another year, maybe Finch for some of the time)
4. Borthwick
5. Roy
6. Ansari
7. Foakes.

I'm assuming no Davies and Harinath further behind in the pecking order.

176 - 3 at tea - with some steady rebuilding by Roy and Ansari.  Unusually restrained innings from Roy, with strike rate of 47.  But it is good to see him building an innings.  Hopefully the batting and bowling time in the middle for Ansari will mean that he is sharp for the final.

With Guildford's line-up for next year, Sibley will be first reserve and should get a fair few games with Roy and maybe Borthwick on international duty and various injuries. I'm guessing they won't bring SC into the top 7 as they have this year (unless it's Ansari/Borthwick out) as seven bowlers is a bit like overkill.

50 for Roy

James - if you do go with my top 7 for the start of next season, it's also tricky to find a place for Batty unless you are prepared to sacrifice a seamer.

jimbobgooner wrote: 50 for Roy

Double it and he could still make the Test squad.

Yep Guildford, on the one hand it's good to have the competition and regular rests should keep the bowlers fresh, but on the other it means each game leaving out someone who really deserves to be playing; it could easily lead to bowler(s) being disillusioned by the end of the year.

100* partnership and first batting point.

Roy into the nervous nineties

100 for Roy

Jase

Yep, 100 for Roy, 150 partnership, 2 batting points, follow on avoided, Zaf hopefully about to reach 50 - what's not to like?!

Jennings getting Ansari Guildford

guildfordbat wrote:Yep ...  Zaf hopefully about to reach 50 - what's not to like?!

Excellent partnership of 164.  Good the way that Roy accelerated to give the innings more momentum. Let's hope that Roy goes on to make a really large hundred...

Foakes lbw in first over of new ball..