surrey vs kent lv county championship

Surrey have named a twelve man squad for the LV=County Championship game against Kent starting on Sunday at Canterbury.
Tom Curran is unavailable for the game due to School exams and Gary Wilson is on International duty with Ireland for their two One Day International’s against Sri Lanka.
Aneesh Kapil who has been playing for the 2nd XI and trialing at the club has been registered and comes into the squad for the first time.
Gareth Batty will be unavailable for 4 - 6 weeks due to a broken finger sustained in 2nd XI game v Gloucestershire last week.
Chris Tremlett has not been considered for selection due to a back complaint still.
Vikram Solanki is currently not with the Surrey squad due to family reasons which are of a private nature.
The Surrey squad to play Kent in the LV=County Championship match at Canterbury on Sunday 4th May, Monday 5th May, Tuesday 6th May and Wednesday 7th May :
Graeme Smith (Capt)
Zafar Ansari
Rory Burns
Steven Davies
Jade Dernbach
Matthew Dunn
Arun Harinath
Aneesh Kapil
Jason Roy
Tim Linley
Stuart Meaker
Dominic Sibley

Thanks as ever, JimBob.

Kapil is an interesting development - didn't see that coming despite JimBob labelling me itk#!   

I would have thought that Kapil is the most likely to miss out although, as he can also bowl, that's far from certain with there being a few options.

Really need to fire on all cylinders in this match. The weather hasn't helped us get going so far although, on the other hand, it's probably saved us from losing 3 out of 3!

I don't know too much about Aneesh Kapil.

I'm a bit surprised that Sibley has been allowed to play, so close to his A levels!  Maybe he will get conveniently injured when Surrey are fielding so he can do a few hours of revision in the dressing room.  

Kapil was at one stage very highly rated. There has been a suggestion that his release from Worcs related more to attitude and money than to on-field ability, though it must be said that he hasn't done much of note in his professional career to date. He is still only 20 so he still has plenty of time to do well.

surrey win toss and bat
viscount misses out

jimbobgooner wrote:surrey win toss and bat
viscount misses out

Cheers, JimBob.

It did occur to me last night that if the Viscount played we would have 3 players at 9, 10 and Jack (Linley, Dernbach and Dunn) who in a combined 4 CC innings (3 completed) this season haven't scored a single run!

I'm unconvinced though that was an adequate reason to leave Linley out. Without him, we look light on bowling and, as too often, may struggle to get 20 wickets. Although Kapil can bowl, I don't think he's taken a wicket for the seconds and has really earned his place through his batting. Meaker, Dunn and Dernbach won't be able to go all day so it looks as if Ansari will have to turn his arm quite a bit with some support from Kapil and possibly some fill in stuff from Roy and Sibley.

Burns
Smith
Sibley
Davies
Roy
Ansari
Harinath
Kapil
Dernbach
Dunn
Meaker

Currently 14/1 from 13.3 overs with Smith going for 3 LBW to Bollinger.

Just got the score on cricinfo with no commentary so can't be certain but guessing Bollinger is being a right handful with figures of 6-5-1-1

Hi King Carlos - been listening a bit to Churchy. Yes, Bollinger's been on the money. As well as getting Smith cheaply (no comment), he's had Sibley dropped in the slips. Claydon has also provided good support.

I won't rush to judge the day's play at this very early stage but I will flag that this is the third match on the bounce in which we've won the toss. In the previous two, we failed to make that count ....

Back this afternoon. Need to cut the grass now, Mrs Bat dropping more hints than a Surrey slip cordon!   

Hi guildford. Interesting that Bollinger has only just returned for a second spell then given his first was bang on the money. Hopefully he isn't succumbing to fitness issues asides to that beer gut.

64/3 with Darren Stevens and Adam Ball getting Burns and Sibley respectively. Those two wickets left us 32/3 so a small recovery from there but really need these two to hang around I fear as 4 down early on the first day isn't a position you really want Roy coming in at. Guess Harinath could come in ahead of him though.

Agreed failing to take advantage of the toss is frustrating. It will only become more so when we reach a close match in which we lose a vital toss as well. Early season with a strong seam attack we really needed to take advantage of bowling first in the last two games. Criminal not too. If the ball is doing plenty this morning I do worry that those two poor shows bowling first may have swayed Biffs decision?    

Hi again King Carlos - Churchy was banging on about the glorious weather at Canterbury at the start so I'm inclined to give Smith the benefit of the doubt and say on balance it was a batting day.

Mini recovery continuing as Ansari and Davies get three figures up. These two need to build on that further ....

Fair point re the weather. The pictures I saw from Canterbury made me extremely envious of those there and even more aggravated about reports I'm working my way through on a Sunday afternoon...

156/5 with Riley removing both Ansari for 48 and Davies for 31.

Harinath just at the crease and Roy there on 34 seeming pretty fluent. Let's hope one (or both!) of these two can post a score that settles some of the debate over the batting spots as well as rescues this first innings.

275 - 8 shortly before the close.  Could have been a lot worse or a lot better.  Good to see Roy, Ansari, Harinath and Kapil all get some runs though no one has made a big score.

As I suggested previously Dunn has been promoted above Dernbach.    Meaker again showing that he can hang around for a bit.

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:275 - 8 shortly before the close.  Could have been a lot worse or a lot better.  Good to see Roy, Ansari, Harinath and Kapil all get some runs though no one has made a big score.

As I suggested previously Dunn has been promoted above Dernbach.    Meaker again showing that he can hang around for a bit.

Corporal - fine succinct summary.

Not a brilliant score but a vast improvement on 32/3 and we at least have some runs on the board. Shame Kapil got out towards the end - a decent debut knock but getting stumped off Riley's first ball of a new spell in the 92nd over wasn't too clever.

Completely with the Corporal about Dunn going in before Dernbach. I was getting at that on the Essex match thread - Dernbach is completely irresponsible whilst Dunn at least values his wicket. Dunn's now into his ninth f-c innings and still has never been dismissed.

Unless the weather turns nasty and intervenes, there should be a winner in this match - something we need although we need to make sure it's us! The Kent batting line up doesn't look too threatening on paper although I'm still concerned we might be a bowler light.

285 all out. Dunn keeps his unbeaten record going with a career best 4 not out.

Davies - who had a poor time behind the stumps in the Hants game - is on the field but reported to be 'feeling under the weather' and has handed the gloves to Burns. Odd, bl**dy odd!

To add to my increasing ''I just don't understand what's going on out there'' type comments, Roy comes on first change.   

Kent 85/0 at lunch.

Slipping away ....

 

100 first wicket partnership up then Meaker finally gets the break through with Northeast going for 53.

Dernbach and Clive seem to be getting a pasting with both going wicketless at nearly 5 an over...

152/2 with Dunn cleaning up Bell-Drummond for 11.

Key has moved onto 66 and Brendan Nash is on 14.

In the battle of poor economy rates Dunn has brought his down to 3.47 runs an over but Dernbach has ballooned to 5.71 going for 12 in the first over of his second spell.

I have a lot of sympathy for Dunn who deserves better support from more experienced colleagues. Pleased he's got a wicket although we really need a few more soon.

As I feared at the start, we do seem to be a bowler light. Mind you, I said the same on the Sussex thread about their attack at Old Trafford and they got Lancs 5 down before 50 was on the board!   

178 - 2 

221/2 from 57 overs. Scoring freely and at a very good rate.   

If there were going to be time for Biff to show us a first backs to the wall, hold the innings together hundred he's played throughout his career this second innings may be need to be it.

305-2. As I said last season: 'Can't bat, can't bowl, what can we do?' to the tune of Adam Ant's Good Two Shoes. Pathetic. Season over already.

Dernbach has gone 44 overs without a wicket now if my maths is correct?

Very odd that Burns kept wicket for the day when Davies was said (by Churchy) to be 'feeling under the weather' but that Davies still took part as a fielder.

Possibly Key wouldn't agree to a sub fielder (Linley was at the ground) or perhaps we just preferred Burns keeping to Davies and gave Churchy a smokescreen excuse. By all accounts, Davies did not impress behind the stumps against Hants.

Anyway, that confusion seems to fit well with the disjointed side chosen for this game. Always looked a bowler light - 11 overs from Roy and a couple from Kapil were never going to change that.

Unless it buckets down over the next two days, very difficult to see an escape from here ....

Olly wrote:Dernbach has gone 44 overs without a wicket now if my maths is correct?

Seems about right. I know that Tremlett has a return of 1/150 from his 50 overs!   

guildfordbat wrote:Very odd that Burns kept wicket for the day when Davies was said (by Churchy) to be 'feeling under the weather' but that Davies still took part as a fielder.

Possibly Key wouldn't agree to a sub fielder (Linley was at the ground) or perhaps we just preferred Burns keeping to Davies and gave Churchy a smokescreen excuse. By all accounts, Davies did not impress behind the stumps against Hants.

Anyway, that confusion seems to fit well with the disjointed side chosen for this game. Always looked a bowler light - 11 overs from Roy and a couple from Kapil were never going to change that.

Unless it buckets down over the next two days, very difficult to see an escape from here ....

Under the laws of the game there is no reason why Burns couldn't keep and Linley, or a youngster brought down, field as a sub unless the umpires ruled Davies didn't have a good reason (very unusual). I'd suggest you could be right in suggesting they wanted to look at Burns with the gloves. Church is, at the end of the day, on the payroll at Surrey...

Make up of the bowling line up had an air of what you might field against a Uni team.  Seems unlikely that we are trying to convert Roy into an all rounder! Maybe there is an attempt to make or break Dunn.

On cue "Clive" Dunn takes couple of wickets....

390/6

With the most overs bowled in this innings Dunn's workload is certainly increasing with more trust seemingly being placed in him Corporal. He seems to be standing up to that responsibility fairly well at the moment as well. If only he could get some support from our more experienced bowlers...   

Smith was absent at the start of play with what Churchy thought was a stomach bug. Churchy understood that Dernbach was captaining in his absence!    

guildfordbat wrote:Smith was absent at the start of play with what Churchy thought was a stomach bug. Churchy understood that Dernbach was captaining in his absence!    

  

421/8 with Captain Dernbach finally chipping in with one and Kapil picking up a maiden Surrey wicket as well   

I'm hoping Smith has returned at this stage given we really need a gutsy knock from him today to try and anchor what will be a tough 2nd innings.

435 all out. A lead of 150...

To have hopes of posting something defendable we will need a really strong start from the Burns, Smith and Sibley in order to blunt the new ball and force the field back a bit.

Key will come out all guns blazing with that lead. Let's not forget Kent have started the season even more poorly than ourselves and need a win just as much.

Surrey's morning but too much damage was almost certainly done yesterday by Key and Nash. If we had limited those two to 50 each, we would actually have a small lead now. Hmmm!

Certainly sounded as if Dunn was the pick of the bowlers and was unlucky not to get more than a three-fer. Anyway, time now for our batsmen to stand up ....

Good fight-back this morning - almost a Surrey-style collapse by Kent. A lead of 150 - let's see if Surrey can actually make them bat again.   

kingdaveeagle wrote:Good fight-back this morning - almost a Surrey-style collapse by Kent ...
 

Yes, the particularly annoying thing is that the Kent batting line up doesn't look that strong on paper. If only we had kept Key and Nash in check ... as usual a story of ''ifs'' for Surrey ....   

No one does a 'collapse' like Surrey! and here we are at 12-2.............looks like the lads have booked a day off tomorrow!

RANT WARNING

Just found out that Smith was missing for much of the morning as he was with his young daughter who is poorly. That meant he was unable to open in our second innings (as he had been off the field for so long) and so Harinath opened instead. Harinath has now just been caught for 4.

The ever irritating Legside Lizzie [sorry Carrot, I know you're pals with her but she gets on my nerves!] has just said on commentary that Smith's absence was ''totally understandable''. That's rubbish! We don't know what's wrong with the little girl so we can't say that. The fact that Smith turned up before lunch and went out to field suggests it's nothing too serious.

If it is something very bad (and I obviously hope it isn't), Smith's place is clearly with her. However, if it isn't, his place is with his team for the day.

Backs to the wall again.  Sibley finding the going hard since his double century. Harinath probably not going to be more than a squad batsman.... Have to hope that Ansari can take advantage of the opportunity to establish himself as front line batsman.

Rant away guildford! Keep us posted if you hear any news please, as all I've got is Cricinfo with dot after dot after dot...........huzzah! that's broke the monotony, a boundary to Third Degree! Just 119 needed now to make them bat again!

Stumped trying to 'save' a match?! Clever....very clever!

70/4. Davies missed in the slips off Stevens - a hard one but a chance.

We'll need a few more drops to save this I reckon!

97 - 5 Davies out.  Risk of complete humiliation.  

119 - 6 Roy gone.  

Can we last til stumps?

At least the skipper is showing an ability to occupy the crease      

Should have been a run out then....

Surrey favourites to win Div 2, so what's happening? Complacency? Poor players? Poor tactics?

Or all of the above....?

I'm not sure why Surrey were said to be favourites to win Div 2.

Tremlett, Dernbach, Wilson, Harinath, Roy, Ansari, Sibley, Solanki, Linley, Dunn, Batty .... a mixture of past their best, unproven, showing some promise, reasonable squad players, not yet nailed down first team player....