It's...a draw!

Now, there’s a surprise. If it wasn’t for the fact that there was some rather good cricket being played I would have taken the unpopular view that a three day game at the Oval was a complete waste of time (in terms of a positive outcome). I do feel a four day game would have been better for both parties because the tame way in which the match tottered towards its inexorable conclusion left me feeling a tad deflated.

That said, a splendiferous 150 plus innings from Afzaal (Hah! Take that, moany people!) showed that he can still swing the bat, and time was all he needed to sort himself out. I’m hoping he will kick on now: Surrey needs both he and Ramps to bat at their best. It’s harsh, but true. Mr R has almost singlehandedly carried Surrey on his broad back for years, and it isn’t fair that so much pressure is put on him – and indeed Afzaal as the other noted specialist batsman – but it’s because they are on their day very fine players.

Has Evans done enough to get a recall to the first team? Has Spriegel earned a middle order berth? It’s all fascinating stuff. Lancefield is still learning his trade, one feels, and has time ahead of him. I’d personally be tempted to have Evans open the batting until Michael Brown makes a reappearance. His ninety eight was finely accumulated over the course of the day. It was so, so close to one hundred that you just felt something cruel was going to happen, just like it did to Meaker, and sure enough he was run-out just two short. Cricket can be a real barsteward of a game sometimes.

Now, Afzaal doesn’t seem remotely to blame in the Evans run out from what I can gather, but there remains the fact that certain players do seem to be involved in run outs more than others. Afzaal is one of that unhappy band, whether it is his fault, his partner’s fault or simply down to lack of luck. I get the impression, from what I have seen of him in the field and batting in the middle, that he isn’t Spring-heeled Jack. I suppose it’s difficult for an Airbus to do a half-turn...

And so on to Middlesex next week, who seem to be finding their mojo a little just when a non-neutral wouldn’t want them to. Newman and Murtagh against their old club, and Ramps against his. If their last encounter at the Oval was anything to go by, it could be a very interesting game...