SURREY VS HAMPSHIRE LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

Surrey have named a 13-man squad for the Club’s home opener, this week’s LV= County Championship clash with Hampshire at The Kia Oval.
The only change from the 12-man squad selected for last week’s game is the addition of leg spinning all-rounder Cameron Steel, who is now available after missing the first game of the season with concussion.
The injured players who missed out from the opening game remain on the treatment table.
There is still no place in the squad for Amar Virdi or Dan Moriarty.
Full Squad:
Rory Burns (captain)
Hashim Amla
Jordan Clark
Ben Foakes (wicket keeper)
Will Jacks
Jamie Overton
Ryan Patel
Ollie Pope
Kemar Roach
Jamie Smith
Cameron Steel
James Taylor
Reece Topley
Maybe Overton for Taylor and Steel for Jacks, possibly Topley will be rested with his injury record.
Very hard to call this
Over to you chaps

Cheers, JimBob.

Very hard to call the eleven as you say. My guess - and it's no more than that - is Overton will come in for Taylor and that will be it. So Steel having to make do with being on drinks duty and the others getting another go. Topley appears stronger than at any time since he joined us and I reckon we'll be keen to give him another run out tomorrow.

Anyway, who knows? A lot of possibilities. Last week I thought we might (unusually) go with 5 seamers. We didn't but I still wouldn't completely rule it out against Hants. We are going to have to try and get 20 wickets somehow. There again, Steel and his leggies could come in - either as a replacement for Jacks or alongside him which would put one of the seamers or even Smith in trouble.

Whatever the team selected, we're going to have to be near our best. Hants are a strong and well balanced side who comfortably beat Somerset in their opening match.

I should have been even more restrictive when it came to Surrey team changes for this match! None at all.

Taylor keeps his place while Overton and Steel share drinks duties.

I don't mind Taylor getting another opportunity. He bowled pretty well pre-season and batted sensibly to good effect in partnership with Foakes at Edgbaston but will need to prove his worth as a bowler against Hants. He was tidy enough to begin with against Warks but his figures suffered as the easy pitch took over on the last day. I feel he could be effective here, although more likely later on if the ball keeps low.

Hants win toss and inevitably bat. If we get chances in the field, we must take them. They're a strong all round side, tipped with good reason by Duty to be County Champions. They can even afford to leave out Wheal and Crane today.

Hmm not sure about that bowling lineup again personally

Oops! Hants did win the toss but chose to bowl (the away side no longer have an automatic right to bowl first - that's a good change of the laws, back to how it always was). Sure Surrey twitter said before that Hants were batting.

Surprised Hants wouldn't want to bat first but there you are. Currently we're 17/0.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Hmm not sure about that bowling lineup again personally

Yeah. Unless Roach goes though them, it's hard to see how we take 20 wickets.

Rikki Clarke's 's retirement and Sam Curran's dodgy back denying us a bowling all-rounder we appear to need.

Good opening session for Surrey having been put in. 83/1.

Patel on 39 and Amla 15.

Burns went for 21. Sharp take at second slip by Dawson from a rash drive at Holland. That won't do his England recall chances much good.

Patel playing well as he's done consistently since the start of the pre-season friendlies. Important for him and us that he goes on ....

I'm out all afternoon now. At the Oval tomorrow.

Patel out to a long hop

guildfordbat wrote:I should have been even more restrictive when it came to Surrey team changes for this match! None at all.

Taylor keeps his place while Overton and Steel share drinks duties.

did you start drinking early Guildford

Oh Amla

100 for Pope

jimbobgooner wrote:

guildfordbat wrote:I should have been even more restrictive when it came to Surrey team changes for this match! None at all.

Taylor keeps his place while Overton and Steel share drinks duties.

did you start drinking early Guildford

Oops again! I haven't had any alcohol for over a week - honest! I either completely misread Surrey twitter when they first posted or they put up a load of guff and then edited it.

Sorry about the goofs anyway whoever was at fault. I saw a bit of the morning session online and just the last over this evening. Any news why Topley isn't playing? Is it just rotation to manage his regular injury problems?

guildfordbat wrote:

jimbobgooner wrote:

guildfordbat wrote:I should have been even more restrictive when it came to Surrey team changes for this match! None at all.

Taylor keeps his place while Overton and Steel share drinks duties.

did you start drinking early Guildford

Oops again! I haven't had any alcohol for over a week - honest! I either completely misread Surrey twitter when they first posted or they put up a load of guff and then edited it.

Sorry about the goofs anyway whoever was at fault. I saw a bit of the morning session online and just the last over this evening. Any news why Topley isn't playing? Is it just rotation to manage his regular injury problems?

must probably Guildford

312 for 3 at stumps a excellent day
Hampshire's decision to bowl has backfired big time so far.

Looking forward to Guildford’s report tomorrow after his day sunning himself at the finest ground in the land

There was me thinking 88 off 14 overs might be possible, with 2 set batsmen and 7 wickets in hand, we couldn't even score 38 to get the 4th batting point

thegooch7 wrote:There was me thinking 88 off 14 overs might be possible, with 2 set batsmen and 7 wickets in hand, we couldn't even score 38 to get the 4th batting point

100 for 5 today so far

Some good biffing but Jacks to get us to 467 all out

52 for 4

Roach has done his hamstring

We may not need him now jimbob, with our new spinner taking wickets

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Looking forward to Guildford’s report tomorrow after his day sunning himself at the finest ground in the land

I'll do what I can now.

A lovely sunny day* in front of a strong cheery Bank Holiday crowd. Some good bowling by both sides and some good batting by one player plus one huge disappointment and two bits of dopey cricket to get my teeth into.

The huge disappointment. Roach's hamstring. He pulled up mid over immediately after sending one down. I've tweaked my hamstring a couple of times back in the day but could still hobble around afterwards. Roach couldn't even put his leg down and had to hop off / be carried by the physio and Overton. I'm no medic but would say a bad tear. Definitely out for the rest of this game, Somerset starting on Thursday and maybe the other two matches he was booked for. Btw, Worrall (who would be a poor substitute for Roach anyway imo) won't be back for the Somerset match, don't know about after that.

The dopey cricket. As flagged by Goochie, we gave up on a 4th batting point which was there for the taking. Foakes started the opening over brightly with a boundary and a three but then when into his shell whilst Pope never got going. Sure, the win is the most important thing by far but we had already laid the foundation for a big score and should have comfortably reached 350 off 110 without undue risk. Who knows if that lost point - and a few more if we play the same way - will make a difference by season's end.

More dopey cricket. This time from Vince's captaincy. From lunch we had gone from 400/6 to 419/9 and the end seemed near. Vince and the Hants analysts seemed not to know anything about Taylor's batting as he came in last man to join Jacks. The kid's not Sanga but he ain't Virdi either. One of the best, if not the best, number elevens we've had. A long unbroken partnership with Foakes at Edgbaston last week at number ten (Topley was eleven there) with --checks cricinfo - 31 off 73. Vince seemed to think that Taylor would fall straightaway. He put all fielders - bar keeper - on the boundary to give Jacks a single and get Taylor on strike. Sometimes he took a single and Taylor played the over out until Jacks twigged that a push would enable them to run two which they did! By this time, Jacks' eye was in and he then went big walloping fours and the odd six. Taylor just watched from the other end or when facing sensibly played back to a fielder or let it go. They put on 48 for the last wicket. Taylor never got off the mark but didn't need to with Jacks batting so we’ll!

Both sides bowled well. Abbas had Pope in trouble early on and was unlucky not induce an edge. Incredible he ended up with a nil return. Abbott was too legside to begin with but straightened up and got rewards. As always for me, Barker was astute and effective. Hung one out to Pope which we went for and snicked behind whilst he then mainly looped his left arm deliveries in on the stumps to win three lbw shouts.

For once, Surrey bowled as a unit, supporting each other well. Expensive early doors but we already had Weatherley in the hutch (excellent yorker from Clark) and had the runs to play with. All the wickets worth a look on the highlights package.

Just for JimBob - your mate Nico Reifer was on as twelfth man for Roach and pulled off a blinding boundary stop.  

* I had left before bad light ended play early - surprised by that.

Great report guildford, I was going to ask if you thought we should enforce the follow on, but Ronnie and Fuller are smashing us everywhere, so it probably won't come to that

Brilliant, 3 wickets for 1 right after I typed that, Hampshire following on

A wicket for James Taylor..... that's handy......man!

I like James Taylor - he’s got a friend.
Yeah, Goochie, right decision imo to enforce the follow on. We need to get ‘em all out a second time and might as well allow us as much time to take them. Bit of Guildford bingo for Olly - bowlers don’t get tired when they’re taking wickets and winning!

1 more wkt needed

Magnificent team effort, considering we lost our strike bowler so early on, to win by an innings is a stupendous performance

YESSSSSSSSSSS WHAT A WIN

The Rey have risen

Folks - above all else this Easter weekend, find on twitter / the highlights package Foakes' one handed take of Weatherley from Overton. Then please explain to me how he did it.

Congrats you Surrey chaps   A very good win.

Enjoyed your account of the earlier day , guildford - and the neat James Taylor cross reference

Question : how often does that "everyone on the boundary for the good bat" tactic actually work against last wicket partnerships ?  I hate it ; always have. Reckon it disrespects your own bowlers and leaves them confused as to what to do - and so often just prolongs what might otherwise have been a brief period of a few good hits ended by a mistake from the bats...vary the field of course but don't go overboard !

Sounds as if Roach will be out for a while ? and I must have missed something because I have been wondering where is that Virdi fellow ? Is he injured ?

alfie wrote:Congrats you Surrey chaps   A very good win.

Enjoyed your account of the earlier day , guildford - and the neat James Taylor cross reference

Question : how often does that "everyone on the boundary for the good bat" tactic actually work against last wicket partnerships ?  I hate it ; always have. Reckon it disrespects your own bowlers and leaves them confused as to what to do - and so often just prolongs what might otherwise have been a brief period of a few good hits ended by a mistake from the bats...vary the field of course but don't go overboard !

Sounds as if Roach will be out for a while ? and I must have missed something because I have been wondering where is that Virdi fellow ? Is he injured ?

Thanks, Alfie.

The James Taylor cross reference was mainly for Goochie but I'm glad you also picked it up and liked it.

You've pretty much answered your own question about ''everyone on the boundary for the good bat'' tactic. Rarely does it seem to work quickly, more often prolonging the innings and increasing frustration for the bowling side and the crowd.

Roach had a scan yesterday. The results haven't been announced yet but it seems pretty clear it's all to do with his hamstring. He certainly didn't look good being helped off on Friday. That was his second match for us this season. He had signed for the first five. I'll be very surprised if he reappears for any of them. Surrey are normally pretty cautious anyway about getting players back from injury (annoying at times for supporters but probably for the ultimate benefit of the players). However, with Roach, Surrey will also need to consult the West Indies Cricket Board and I'm sure our County Championship ambitions won't be their top priority.

The Virdi situation? Hmmm. Here goes. We've got two fine spinners with him and his offies and Moriarty who bowls slow left arm. Both are fit but neither is currently playing for the first team. Not surprising we can't accommodate both at this time of year and stage of the season but looks odd that one isn't in the team. We're instead relying on Jacks' off spin for the slow stuff. I think the main reason for this is that the side is unbalanced with Sam Curran currently unable to bowl. Faced with the potential problem of going into games a batsman or a bowler light, Jacks is being used to try and bridge any gaps by playing as a batting all rounder. He batted very well on Friday and is not doing too badly with the ball but isn't in the spinning class of Virdi or Moriarty.

I would expect us to play both Virdi and Moriarty in Championship games later in the season but for now both have to bide their time. For how long and how much both will accept the situation, I don't know.

I was at the Oval again yesterday and saw Virdi bowling on the outfield at lunchtime and getting some turn. S Curran was also there, going through a fitness routine although I don't think he bowled.

Very good team performance yesterday. Thoroughly deserved and convincing win. For the first time since we signed him, Overton was in charge of his game sending down some steepling bouncers which seemed to follow the batsmen. Some excellent catches as well - especially from Foakes, Pope and Jacks. Oh, and yes, I enjoyed seeing 'Ronnie' bash his way to 50 first thing.