SURREY VS SOMERSET LV= COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

SURREY HAVE NAMED A SQUAD OF 13 TO TAKE ON SOMERSET IN OUR FINAL GROUP 2 MATCH IN THIS YEAR’S LV= COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP, STARTING ON SUNDAY 11TH JULY AT THE KIA OVAL.
Indian all-rounder Ravi Ashwin will join the group for this match only.
While the draw with Hampshire now makes finishing in the top two very difficult, both the Club and Ashwin have agreed to this one-off arrangement.
Ollie Pope’s thigh injury means he will not be available until England’s series with India. Ben Foakes (hamstring), Reece Topley (side) and Liam Plunkett (calf) are still not available for selection.
There is no place in the squad for Gus Atkinson, Matthew Dunn or Laurie Evans.
FULL SQUAD:
Rory Burns (c)
Hashim Amla
Ravi Ashwin
Jordan Clark
Rikki Clarke
Ben Geddes
Conor McKerr
Daniel Moriarty
Jamie Overton
Ryan Patel
Jamie Smith
Mark Stoneman
Amar Virdi
3 spinners in the team? if so maybe Geddes and Clarke ( shoulder injury cant have eased up that quickly) to miss out.
Otherwise you would expect McKerr to miss out unless only 2 spinners which would mean Moriarty to miss out.
What a time to be alive
Over to you chaps

Cheers jimbob! I think Clarke would be preferable to McKerr, and surely Geddes can't play, leaves us with a very weak looking team, especially in the medium pace dept, but I think the 3 spinners are more reliable, I assume our t20 signing David just twiddles his thumbs til next Friday, or did he just play 1 game

thegooch7 wrote:Cheers jimbob! I think Clarke would be preferable to McKerr, and surely Geddes can't play, leaves us with a very weak looking team, especially in the medium pace dept, but I think the 3 spinners are more reliable, I assume our t20 signing David just twiddles his thumbs til next Friday, or did he just play 1 game

one more game for David Gloucestershire next Friday, Gooch

James Hildreth, Kasey Aldridge, George Bartlett, Jack Brooks, Eddie Byrom, Devon Conway, Steve Davies, Marchant de Lange, Lewis Goldsworthy, Ben Green, Tom Lammonby, Jack Leach and Roelof van der Merwe.

It’s a weak Somerset squad. Their top three seamers are either with England (Overton, Gregory) or injured (Davey). Also missing captain Abell and Banton. It’ll be a real struggle to get anything from this game.

JDizzle wrote:James Hildreth, Kasey Aldridge, George Bartlett, Jack Brooks, Eddie Byrom, Devon Conway, Steve Davies, Marchant de Lange, Lewis Goldsworthy, Ben Green, Tom Lammonby, Jack Leach and Roelof van der Merwe.

It’s a weak Somerset squad. Their top three seamers are either with England (Overton, Gregory) or injured (Davey). Also missing captain Abell and Banton. It’ll be a real struggle to get anything from this game.

cheers JDizzle

Going now

Laters

Geddes and McKerr miss out
Somerset win toss and bat

Clark gets Conway

wkt for Virdi in his first over

1st wkt for Ashwin

My take and guess on what went on yesterday and why.

Desperate tactics resulting from our desperate situation.

To get into Division One for the next round of matches, we needed a win with maximum points and to limit Somerset to no more than 2 bonus points.

We therefore prepared a track which is intended to spin from late day two and gambled on winning the toss, putting 400 on the board inside 110 overs and our 3 spinners (including ''One Game'' Ashwin) then skittling Somerset for under 200. As I say, desperate. It all started to unravel at 10:30 when Hildreth won the toss and batted. The gamble - already at incredibly long odds - was thus lost before a ball was bowled.

That left us with 3 spinners to bowl on a non spinning track for day one. Matters were not helped by Overton being hit in the nuts whilst fielding early on and disappearing for the rest of the day. Furthermore, Clarke still seemed troubled by his shoulder and only bowled late in the final session.

Surrey's best bowler by some way was Jordan Clark. Fortunately, he stood up and deserved his 3 wickets. Ashwin was pretty tidy and stuck at it but it never really looked like being his day.

The guy who took the honours without doubt was Hildreth. A calm and composed century to put Somerset in a decent position in this match and virtually guarantee them one of the two Div One spots from our group. We won't be the other team and don't deserve to be on our form this year.

Confirmed calf injury for Overton you couldn't make it up
He will bat

Off topic but Topley expected to play in the Blast at Gloucs on Friday.

Here and now - Somerset in the smart seats having made 429 and batted to the halfway point of day two. Exactly what they wanted. Even if they don’t win, they’re not going to lose from here and that suits their qualification for Div One just fine.

So many of the Somerset batters chipped in. Five with 40+, I think. Normally I would moan about them not going on but Hildreth did that with his ton. The others provided useful and - from a Surrey perspective - annoying support.

Ashwin finished with 1/99. Hmmm. Wonder how much that wicket cost?£! He was out bowled by Virdi today even if van der Merwe’s wicket (caught close in by a diving Patel) seemed off the pad and not bat.

Surrey advanced to 24/0 off 6 overs before rain brought an early tea. Burns leading the way with 18 and taking a liking to Brooks.

Think they’ll be off for some time now. Thinking of heading home ....

Cheers for the update on Topley, Guildford
safe journey home

Turning out to be a bit of a meh season this one - not a lot to write home about

Surrey will be looking for much more but 280 to avoid the follow on has to be the first aim today.

If (probably should be a big IF) that's achieved and we're still batting, one option would be to declare with a smallish deficit so as to have a few overs at them tonight.

Realistically though, I can only see two possible results. A Surrey win ain't one of them.

PS : day off from watching today. Suffered enough Sunday and Monday.

Well what a surprise Guildford hasn't gone and we are doing well.

50 for Burns

jimbobgooner wrote:50 for Burns

And out

50 for Stoneman

Guildford - I note Mark Footitt, formerly of this parish, is playing for Lincolnshire against Norfolk today in some minor counties action. Bowling quick according to #reports

Scorecard here - https://www.play-cricket.com/website/results/4653111

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Guildford - I note Mark Footitt, formerly of this parish, is playing for Lincolnshire against Norfolk today in some minor counties action. Bowling quick according to #reports

Thanks, Olly. In future years, I'm sure Footitt's name will crop up in one of those ''whatever happened to'' cricket chats.

4 down at tea and just over 100 needed to avoid the follow on.

Looks very unlikely we'll get to that 280 target tonight ... if at all.

JimBob - you nervous? You can't put the blame on me being there today!

Make that 5 down as Ashwin goes first ball! Think his contract was only for him to bowl - he hardly moved while fielding.

Great effort this on a pitch that isn't turning

Not often you see a side with three slow left armers like Somerset have. The Leach/Bess duo worked so well as it had the different angles and directions of turn.

They’ve made the top Div anyway - so will be hoping Hampshire join them, rather than Gloucs due to the points carry over.

5 wkts for Leach

What makes it worse is the Somerset bowling attack is so ordinary

JimBob - keep calm but we're about to get a batting point!

guildfordbat wrote:JimBob - keep calm but we're about to get a batting point!

and there it is

98 for 0 to 239 for 8

Simple task for Somerset tomorrow. Take the final two wickets for less than 40 runs and then let their ordinary attack go to work.

JDizzle wrote:Simple task for Somerset tomorrow. Take the final two wickets for less than 40 runs and then let their ordinary attack go to work.

Hi JD - that would certainly be my view as to what Somerset should do (although I have a higher regard for your attack even with some bowlers missing than one of my colleagues here ) and I hope that's the case.

However, do you think that having already qualified for Div One, there's a danger they might take it easy and not go for the kill? Instead of enforcing the follow on, being content for themselves to bat until 4:50 and then shaking hands on the draw? As I say, I hope not. I want a competitive last day as much as possible. If Surrey are to get a draw, I want them to achieve it through their own efforts and not be given it gift wrapped.

guildfordbat wrote:

JDizzle wrote:Simple task for Somerset tomorrow. Take the final two wickets for less than 40 runs and then let their ordinary attack go to work.

Hi JD - that would certainly be my view as to what Somerset should do (although I have a higher regard for your attack even with some bowlers missing than one of my colleagues here ) and I hope that's the case.

However, do you think that having already qualified for Div One, there's a danger they might take it easy and not go for the kill? Instead of enforcing the follow on, being content for themselves to bat until 4:50 and then shaking hands on the draw? As I say, I hope not. I want a competitive last day as much as possible. If Surrey are to get a draw, I want them to achieve it through their own efforts and not be given it gift wrapped.

I fear so unfortunately. Especially with an already depleted attack, I agree they might just decide not to bother risking any more unnecessary injuries and just take the draw. Hopefully they do go for it though! Be good for Leach to get some overs under his belt.

JDizzle wrote:

guildfordbat wrote:

JDizzle wrote:Simple task for Somerset tomorrow. Take the final two wickets for less than 40 runs and then let their ordinary attack go to work.

Hi JD - that would certainly be my view as to what Somerset should do (although I have a higher regard for your attack even with some bowlers missing than one of my colleagues here ) and I hope that's the case.

However, do you think that having already qualified for Div One, there's a danger they might take it easy and not go for the kill? Instead of enforcing the follow on, being content for themselves to bat until 4:50 and then shaking hands on the draw? As I say, I hope not. I want a competitive last day as much as possible. If Surrey are to get a draw, I want them to achieve it through their own efforts and not be given it gift wrapped.

I fear so unfortunately. Especially with an already depleted attack, I agree they might just decide not to bother risking any more unnecessary injuries and just take the draw. Hopefully they do go for it though! Be good for Leach to get some overs under his belt.

Cheers, JD. We'll see - I'm planning on going tomorrow.

Btw, brain dead batting from Overton getting bowled attempting a sweep against van der Merwe in the final over. Clarke had showed him exactly what to do against Goldsworthy in the previous over.

That doesn’t shock me. Jamie does tend to only have one gear when he bats!

Nice waggiing tail from Surrey, luckily follow on not enforced for a certain defeat

Good job Somerset elected not to enforce the follow on to give the bowlers a rest.

JDizzle wrote:Good job Somerset elected not to enforce the follow on to give the bowlers a rest.

Both teams have settled for the draw

Our Division 2 opponents
Durham
Essex
Glamorgan
Gloucestershire
Northamptonshire
Very surprised to see Essex there