SURREY VS MIDDLESEX SPECSAVERS COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

Is it safe  

SURREY HAVE NAMED AN UNCHANGED 13 MAN SQUAD FOR THE SPECSAVERS COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AGAINST MIDDLESEX AT THE KIA OVAL STARTING ON SUNDAY.
Zafar Ansari and Jade Dernbach remain on the treatment table Stuart Meaker is not deemed ready enough to start a championship game. As for Dom Sibley inclusion guildford's gut let him down  
The Surrey squad to paly Middlesex in the Specsavers County Championship at the Kia Oval on Sunday 15th May, Monday 16th May, Tuesday 17th May and Wednesday 18th May :
Gareth Batty (capt)
James Burke
Rory Burns
Tom Curran
Steven Davies
Matthew Dunn
Ben Foakes
Arun Harinath
Mathew Pillans
Ravi Rampaul
Jason Roy
Kumar Sangakkara
Gary Wilson
Pillans for Dunn will probably be the only change I'd like to see Wilson come in as he is scoring runs for fun in the seconds but that would mean Harinath being the fifth bowler and as we know Batty isn't really backing himself which is worrying when you are the captain.
over to you chaps

It's safe, JimBob - well done!

Think you're on the money with the likely eleven and your comments. Wilson is entitled to ask what more he can do to get a call up but hard to see how a space can be made for him. Guess that applies to Sibley too; I still would have given him a squad place though, if only to give the other batsmen a shake.

Even though Dunn and Burke both had a torrid time at Headingley, it's probably just about right to retain them in the squad - would be tough on such inexperienced and youngish* players to bin them altogether now. However, don't feel we can afford to go again with them both against Middlesex. Burke probably gets the nod as he's a better bat than Dunn and gives a look of better balance to the side. That said, we're still badly short of balance whilst Zaf's thumb is in ice!

*Talking about age, the Burger Van will be 24 next month - and still hasn't played a CC match.

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No Meaker in the squad so I assume he's still not fully fit. It's hard to think what will fix the problems as we need another batter (and as Guildford says, Wilson is in form for the 2s), but without a reliable third seamer we can't go in with only four bowlers. I guess I'd go with an unchanged side, but unless Ansari or Curran Jr are going to be back soon, it would be worth looking to get an all-rounder on loan from somewhere. The one thing that we definitely do need is for Batty to bowl more or Curran and Ravioli are going to break down soon and then we'll really be stuck.

James100 wrote:No Meaker in the squad so I assume he's still not fully fit. It's hard to think what will fix the problems as we need another batter (and as Guildford says, Wilson is in form for the 2s), but without a reliable third seamer we can't go in with only four bowlers. I guess I'd go with an unchanged side, but unless Ansari or Curran Jr are going to be back soon, it would be worth looking to get an all-rounder on loan from somewhere. The one thing that we definitely do need is for Batty to bowl more or Curran and Ravioli are going to break down soon and then we'll really be stuck.

Hi James - understand the sentiment. However, as Olly could tell you, it would have been worth Norwich getting a top-class goalscorer but some things aren't that easy!

Ha! Well maybe your suggestion of getting Azhar into the nets isn't as outlandish as you suggest.

Dunn ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Cheers, James. Don't think that changes the likely eleven but choices now further limited.

Middlesex win toss and bat ... things not going our way.

Surrey team as widely expected - Pillans in (he had to be once Dunn dropped out) and still no place for Wilson.

I'll be interested in the Middlesex eleven - they named a squad of 13 with two main spinners in Rayner and Patel. Be very surprising if both play although one will probably make the cut.

Middlesex 68-0 after the first hour

Same old story so far...

Not looking good, guys (unless you're the Middlesex supporter MfC who will undoubtedly be popping up some time to applaud his boys and wind us up about Batty's captaincy! ).

68/0 off 14. 7 on the reel from Rampaul with 5 and 2 from Curran and Pillans going at 4, 5 and 7 per over respectively or thereabouts.

Batty into the attack now. Maybe he's been reading us on here...

Gareth Batty bowling before the 50th over of a match

What a time to be alive

Division 2 here we come

Another bore draw at the oval on the cards?

If so the pitch curator needs to be looked at and seriously questioned

Hopefully not like the bore draw against Durham hey olly

Far too soon to be blaming the pitch curator - need to see how things play out.

Middlesex have gone in for this match with 3 main seamers (Toblerone Jones who always does well against us, ex-Surrey man Dial M and ''No Nickname'' Harris) and one spinner in Rayner. Rayner took a career best match haul of 15 wickets at the Oval when we were last in Div One in 2013 - that's probably helped to get him his place in the eleven today. Others can and probably will turn their arms.

The baron finally gets his County cap and Tc as well clap:

Middlesex 126/0 at lunch. ''Surrey need to dramatically improve'' - Johnny Barran. Even though he's not as mild mannered as Churchy, you know we've got problems when Barran is talking like that.

Not to be too downhearted (as usual) but this game looks beyond us already. And unless we can get some of our injured/missing players back pronto (or find some form for those playing) we look odds on to drop straight back out of the division.

jimbobgooner wrote:The baron finally gets his County cap and Tc as well  clap:

Good spot and right to flag that, JimBob! Well done to them both.

I still though remain disappointed that the Viscount was never capped. 73 wickets in 2011 to get us promotion - a major milestone. I raised that at the AGM the other month.  Alec Stewart was understanding and polite but clear - ''Linners was close but not close enough.''

I fully accept that TC has greater potential than the Viscount ever did and should go on to achieve much more. However, I'm not sure that TC has as of now achieved more than the Viscount did throughout his time.

Batty strikes in the first over after lunch

kingdaveeagle wrote:Not to be too downhearted (as usual) but this game looks beyond us already. And unless we can get some of our injured/missing players back pronto (or find some form for those playing) we look odds on to drop straight back out of the division.

Afternoon, King Dave - we're certainly playing catch up already and that's worrying after just two hours.

What has happened to Ravioli? Harinath has had to finish an over for him!

Oh dear

After my post, I put the radio on and heard Churchy say, ''Rampaul's off the field, being treated with something for something.''

Into the 54th over and Middlesex are 197/2. TC has already bowled 18, exactly a third. Phew!! How long before he follows Ravioli back to the sick bay? At least Batty is bowling. However, Pillans and Burke not much involved - just a combined 8 overs so far at a cost of 39.

It's no wonder our main seamers get injured so much when we bowl them into the ground

See my posts on the Yorkshire game thread predicting such things happening

Olly - well aware of your Yorks comments, agreed with them then and now. To be fair though, Batty's options in this match are currently limited by Pillans and especially Burke being expensive. At least, Batty himself is bowling more here. He's not doing a bad job with the ball - at least keeping things reasonably quiet, 1/51 off 20 overs. Having decided to pick himself in earlier games, just a pity he didn't think to perform that role then where so much of the bowling fell to TC and Ravioli.

On the plus side, we're getting through our overs quickly and Burkey only went for a single in his first over after tea.

All a bit late but something of an improvement since tea. Pillans and Burke have shared the 10 overs bowled for just 20 with the latter picking up the wicket of Malan. If Ravioli doesn't bowl again today, it's vital that these two both put in a decent shift.

257/4 as Burke gets his second wicket, Voges lbw. Give some credit here to Pillans - he's bowled 10 overs unchanged either side of tea for just 20 runs. That's keeping it tight and applying pressure as Stewie and MDV keep banging on about.

Maybe a slight opening or is that too optimistic?

If we can pickup another couple before the end of play it's not a complete disaster

Will the baron have a bowl?

Batty the destroyer strikes again :-)

jimbobgooner wrote:Will the baron have a bowl?

Yes, he's on now with Batty. I know we've got to make some overs up for Ravioli but I would have liked Curran and Batty bowling now at the 2 newish batsmen, Franklin and Stirling. If either of them get going, they are real biffers who could do serious damage.

Curran bowls Stirling, Middlesex now 6 down as they approach 300

If Surrey can nip another one out before close of play they've recovered very well

289-7 as Curran picks up Rayner LBW

An excellent fight back in this evening session from Surrey

Middlesex finish on 298-7, considering they were 238-2 at one point that's a good fight back from the rey

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:289-7 as Curran picks up Rayner LBW

An excellent fight back in this evening session from Surrey

Absolutely. Just so disappointing that we let them get off to such a good start. We have to be firing from the off.

Wickets shared out between TC, Norah and Burkey but credit as well to Pillans. Although he went wicketless, he kept it tight after his ordinary opening spell and then applied pressure which I'm sure helped with Burke's brace. Pillans' last 12 overs only cost 21.

Don't know the position with Ravioli but him going off and not bowling again is obviously a major concern. Olly / JimBob / James - the world of twitter or anywhere else tell you guys anything?

I think we all know what we need to do in the morning.

Latest on Ravioli is he has a hamstring strain

Cheers, JimBob. Guess that means he's unlikely to bowl again in this match but will bat if necessary? Not great, not great at all.

Today is my first day of live cricket for the year Up to the oval to hopefully see a good day of solid Surrey batting!

Wkts for TC and nora so far 1 wkt to get

Final pair have put on 35 so far...don't let them completely ruin your good work Surrey!

Murtagh dropped

50 partnership

Just had a quick look at the score, why is Roland Jones batting down at 10? Ive always thought he's pretty handy with the bat.

395 all out