Obstruction-gate!

I stole this photo from Liz. She won't mind: she's utterly shameless! He he he...




Gloucestershire v Surrey time: a game that had more drama than an episode of I, Claudius. Well, okay. It didn’t have the murders, the plots, the incest or men in short togas, but it pretty much had everything else!

It started off fairly innocuously, with Marilyn delivering a cake and flapjacks to Churchy (one of which I believe was honoured to fall into the clutches of a certain Alec Stewart). The rest of the day was, it appears , taken up snapping photos of the Surrey team as they fielded. At least I think there was more than one team playing, although by the amount of photos of the slip cordon you wouldn’t know that Gloucestershire were there!

Only joking, guys!

The Surrey bowling looked very smart and Arafat recorded his first 5fer of the championship. Linley continued to impress as he had throughout the season. He may not be the world’s most fashionable or stylish bowler, but he’s damned useful and no mistake! Dernbach appeared to struggle slightly in the first innings, but with England duties beckoning it was clear he wanted to leave his club with some wickets to his credit. Gloucestershire were all out for a total of 286.

Day two was the day that Ramps recorded his 114th first class century, leaving him equal with the great Sir Vivian Richards on the list of all time century makers. It also saw him recording his hundredth career hundred-partnership. As the Surrey batsmen came and went it looked as if Mr R was, in time-honoured tradition, running out of partners but then Arafat stepped up to the crease and kept on batting and batting and batting! It was a fabulous partnership between the two of them, and a real pity that Ramps got out just a couple of overs before close of play. Still, the wind had been well and truly taken out of Gloucestershire’s sails.

When the game resumed the next day Surrey managed to add a few more valuable runs. How valuable would become clear later in the game, but Surrey finished their first innings with a splendid 423. Whilst Dent, much like Ramps the day before, was the sole centurian for his side (in fact it was Dent’s first ever hundred) the rest of the team, other than Alec Gidman and Chris Taylor, were unable to contribute any significant runs to the second innings total. Arafat claimed two more victims, the same as Dernbach and Ansari, with Linley taking three and Batty one.

This meant that on day four, once the Gloucestershire side were finally dismissed, Surrey had only to chase down 184 to win the game. A simple enough task you would have thought. To start with it certainly appeared that way, but then Davies perished for 19 and then shortly afterwards RHB for 39. Ramps came in and played his customary steady knock, keeping a cool head whilst Maynard and de Bruyn fell by the wayside without really adding much to the score, but with Jason Roy keeping things ticking along the score began to diminish.

And then we had obstructiongate!

Of course, I have to point out I wasn’t there so I don’t really have anything to base my opinions on. The Gloucestershire players will have their opinions, the Surrey players theirs, as will the umps. Fact is that whether the call was correct or not the umpires’ word is law. But the reason that this will be such an emotive issue with someone who has played for as long in the game as Ramps is that the way he was given out – obstructing the field – is one that the umps can only give if they feel the interference caused was deliberate. And that, of course, is as good as accusing someone of cheating.

You can imagine that, understandably, this did not go down very well with Mr R. I can also imagine that if his discussions on the subject with the umpires were on the ‘expressive’ side that he’s most likely going to be taken to task for it. Bottom line is you can’t feck with the umpires, even if they’ve made a controversial and heavy-handed decision. Still, I can understand the aggrievement in this instance. Who likes to have their professional integrity called into question? It is actually a very big deal at the end of the day.

The upshot of the game was that Jason Roy had to carry the hopes of the Surrey team on his young shoulders, especially as Ansari found himself back in the dressing room within two balls, caught up in the post-obstruction maelstrom! Gloucestershire moved from underdogs to favourites to win when Gareth Batty and Roy went within a few balls of each other. And yet in the face of all the confusion, controversy, and rushes of blood to the head Tim Linley contrived to stroke the winning runs in partnership with the game’s Mr Reliable, Yasir Arafat.

So, a win for Surrey. It was bloody hard work, but it was well scrapped-for and, by the sound of it, deserved. You couldn’t really blame Gloucestershire for appealing for the Ramps wicket because they knew they had to get him out to stand a chance of winning, and it very nearly worked. But the whole thing left me feeling very disgruntled, although delighted that Surrey had taken maximum points, and putting Surrey within a few points of Gloucestershire in the table!

At the time of writing this Middlesex look like they are going to steamroller Northants at the top of the table. The two of them look likely to go up...yet the wheels are starting to fall off Northants a little. There’s still potentially a spot up for grabs. If Surrey shows the same resolve to fight that they did against Gloucestershire then there is always a chance, remote as it may seem.

And so the curtains fell on the drama at Cheltenham. I’m sure we won’t have heard the last of the whole obstruction thing, but nonetheless a satisfying Surrey win and a great return to form from Ramps with his century made for an (over) exciting game! Not bad for a grand old chap with a dodgy knee. After all, in I, Claudius the title character survived everyone else and he also was a grand old chap with a dodgy knee!

Just don’t eat the mushrooms, Ramps...


*Brief addendum to this post. Surrey have signed Gloucestershire bowler Jon Lewis to mentor the young quick bowlers next year, in light of Tremlett, Dernbach and Meaker being spirited away on England duties. It's an interesting move. It's not a bad one: there does need to be some experience amongst the bowling unit, although it's not without issues. As my dad said: "who's this old bloke Surrey have signed, then?"

It's a signing made all the more interesting when you consider it was Mr Lewis who led the appeal to the umps against Ramps in the Cheltenham game...

Another day...

Another draw.

That isn’t me having a moan or a bitching session, by the way. I’m very much of a ‘que sera’ mindset when it comes to results, although I do believe that positive thinking can do the power of good. Given the way that Surrey got brutalised by the amazing first innings display of Alviro Petersen (210), ably supported by Powell (who went for an unfortunate 99), it said something that they were able to make as good a fist of the last day as they did.

If you were to take the scores of Petersen and Powell out of the reckoning the Glamorgan innings looks slightly less impressive, with only Rees (25), Bragg (28) and Jones (17) making it to double figures. In fact Petersen assumed an almost Ramprakashesque status in terms of the importance of his innings in the context of the game. Surrey in reply managed only 284 to Glamorgan’s 419. Davies top-scored with 77 and Ramps next with 67. Maynard chipped in with 42, but likewise the rest of the team fell for not many runs, just avoiding the follow-on target although putting Glamorgan in a mighty fine position.

Day three was greatly spoiled by the first bad weather that Surrey had encountered this season, the afternoon session all but washed-out. This meant that day four was almost certainly going to result in a draw, and whilst the excitement of a potential nail-biting finish had been removed it didn’t stop Glamorgan from putting together a second innings total of 259, with Rees scoring 126 and Powell again in the runs with 67 not out. Perhaps Glamorgan had left the declaration too late to achieve a positive outcome, but given the way that Surrey began their reply (with Jason Roy and Hamilton Brown cutting into the target without even breaking sweat) it maybe wasn’t so foolish at first glance.

After Hamilton-Brown had fallen for 68 shortly after tea the almost gettable rate of 8 off an over rose to plus 10, and Surrey began to play for the declaration which came shortly before 5.00pm. Ramps finished 15 not out whilst Roy was 106 not out when the handshakes were in evidence.

A word about Jason Roy. This must surely have been a wonderful day for him, even if it was ultimately a game that tailed off into the draw everyone had expected. Not only did he get his maiden first class wicket but he finished the day off with his maiden first class century! To see Roy, surely a potential star for Surrey, at one end of the crease and Ramps at the other, a man who has just about achieved all that can be achieved in the county game, felt almost symbolic. Even if the results haven’t quite gone Surrey’s way this blend of experience and youth looks exactly what the team have been crying out for over the last few years.

The good points of the game, other than the splendid efforts of Petersen, Powell and Jason Roy, was that Mr Ramprakash passed the 35,000 runs landmark. Given the comparatively few county championship games that are played compared to even a few decades ago, this is an eye wateringly fine achievement. In the process of making the 67 first innings runs Ramps also overtook a certain D B Close in the first class run scoring list, moving to 39th of all-time. As the wonderful Churchy would say, “Splendid!”

The not so good news is that Steven Davies appears to have sprained his ankle. I’m not a doctor but I am qualified when it comes to sprained ankles. I still remember the absolute belter of a sprain I picked up in high school, which resulted in the ankle turning black for weeks. People I had never set eyes on before from other form classes approached me to show my ankle to them! It was my one moment of school notoriety! Anyhow, I don’t know how bad Davies’ sprain is but if it’s a bad one then don’t expect him to keep wicket in the Derbyshire game. Hopping behind the stumps really is going to be rather distracting for the bowler...

Hurrah! All is well at stumps!

Leicestershire v Surrey at the Oval: Day Two


Okay, so here’s the situation after two days of playing Leicestershire at the Oval in the county championship:

We’re actually doing rather nicely! Never thought you’d hear that one, did you? Admit it! When was the last time that Surrey really looked like steamrollering the opposition on day two?!?

Hmm...how to sum up two days? Well, we lost the toss and were surprisingly (well, to me at least) stuck in. I snuck a quick look at the BBC score card just to see who was batting, then resolved not to look at the score until I got home. I walked in the door to see my dad with the Ceefax score on TV, at which point I shrieked at him not to tell me anything. There then resembled a scene straight out the Likely Lads where he endeavoured to spoil the whole thing any way he could, which ended only when I walked up the stairs with him shouting “158 all out!” A total lie, I knew, but bloody irritating nonetheless!

As it transpired Surrey fell short of a third bonus batting point by a nostril hair, something that will have irked them, as they were all out for 294. With the wicket displaying a distinctly green tinge to enable the Surrey pace attack to blitz the opposition into submission the batsmen seemed to find it difficult to get in, or indeed stay in, as they might on the old, dry wickets prepared by the lovely Bill Gordon. But as it later transpired it was to be a decision of pure brilliance.

The problem of the opening spot was solved by the captain gallantly going against all usual inclinations and dropping down the order, his new batting partner the talented Jason Roy. It’s great to see Jason, or Trigger as we call him, nail down a slot in the squad even if it isn’t where he would prefer. I’ve heard people say he would be better at three, and he probably would feel more at home there, but I’m afraid he’s going to have to bide his time as that particular berth is taken at the moment! He can wait his turn. The King is still in his parlour! As Chris Adams said, his time will come when the likes of Ramps and de Bruyn finally hang up the bat, but in the meantime he has the opportunity to play his own game at the top of the order, with license to tonk the ball as he sees fit!

Alas, it didn’t work very well on day one, as Roy made a somewhat inauspicious 5 before being given out lbw to one Matthew Hoggard. Ramps seemed to play very well, which came as a great relief to all who must have been wondering how the injury might have affected his ability to run. It certainly didn’t alter his ability to hit the ball! He eventually got out to a really good piece of bowling by Nathan Buck, a talented individual who actually seems to be one of the few people who can get the maestro out repeatedly! Thirty seven may not have been up there with his best efforts, but from someone who may have been trying to get rid of the cobwebs accumulated from sitting on the sidelines it wasn’t too bad in the context of the game.

The skipper made a useful 41 (de Bruyn making one less) whilst Maynard stole the first innings with a frisky 70. Down the order Arafat contributed 44 at exactly the right time, and although the score looked considerably smaller than would have been expected the bowler friendly wicket soon turned to bite the Leicestershire batsmen in exactly the same way it had the home side.

The total achieved by Leicestershire on day two was a rather lowly 183, thanks largely to a magnificent display of fast bowling from Meaker who took four wickets, but the others all chipped in with two for Dernbach, two for Tremlett and one for Batty and Arafat. There are plenty of dangerous players in the opposing team but primarily I’m thinking of James Taylor, who appeared dwarfed next to the considerably statuesque figure of Jefferson (think Don Estelle next to Dave Prowse in his Vader heyday and you have the right idea). He is the one man in the side that needs to be nipped out quickly. Surrey will have to hope they can do so again when they next get the chance because if they don’t there’s a danger he might somehow contrive to make the game a safe draw for Leicestershire. Topple him and that becomes a less frightening reality.

Jason Roy stepped up to the plate, as he often has done when given the chance, with an eye-catching innings of 76 – equalling his highest ever first class score. I say eye-catching but it was more breathtaking, at least in terms of the short amount of time he accumulated his runs. The skipper fell for 14 this time, leaving Ramps to come in and hit his first 50 of the season. At the end of play he had managed a classy 53 not out, with de Bruyn playing counterpart with 14 not out. Fingers crossed both can really kick on tomorrow. Nobody would expect Ramps to get a century in his first game back from injury, but he does seem to have the habit of scoring big in his primary match of the season. Sooner or later he is going to break the 35,000 first class runs barrier and whilst he may not celebrate statistical milestones that is one that probably should be savoured. There are not too many people in the future are going to manage it.

So, Surrey will head off tonight much the happier of the two sides. The lead already is substantial, and at the time of writing this de Bruyn and Ramps are still there, waiting to twist the knife further. Tune into @surreycricket on the internet because an hour or so of those two at the crease and it won’t be pretty for Leicestershire...

Victories, balls and farewells

Balls.

That’s what Surrey showed today. Big, massive ones at that! In a metaphorical sense, you understand. Displaying the non-metaphorical ones in public can result in arrest. Just ask any streaker worth his salt.

I don’t know if there was something in the Rosebowl air today, or whether Surrey were high on the back of their heady win over Scotland yesterday. I don’t know if maybe Deirdre, fresh from having her ashes scattered at the Oval today decided to look down at the teams from on high and have a laugh. Whatever the truth, today’s humdinger of a match just about caused me a peptic ulcer! Something decidedly odd seemed afoot almost from the word go.

I mean, Hants are chock full of decent players. And one by one – and at regular intervals – they dropped like ninepins! I’m not one for casting aspersions on the boys abilities and certainly Surrey are a more than reasonable team, but if you’d asked me if they’d have Hants all out for 141 in 30 overs I’d have probably spat my cup of tea out at your face in disbelief! How long have the doom merchants, naysayers and long-suffering “I can remember when we were invincible” brigade been hankering after a display like that?

It did seem a little too good to be true, to be honest. I’m afraid, with all due respect to our wonderful bowlers, I had suspicions something was up with the pitch. And when Hants began their response in the same manner as Surrey had, with wickets tumbling all over the shop, I felt all the more certain that the Rosebowl was misbehaving unexpectedly. Not in a naughty “call the ECB inspectors” way, I hasten to add. It just didn’t seem to be going the way either team had anticipated. By all accounts it should have been a marvellous batting track, and yet the ball dominated the bat in an almost obscene manner.

Take the Hants innings for example. The top score made by a batsman on their team was a slightly incongruous 34 from Dawson. The next highest score was 21 from McKenzie! With other scores ranging from a first ball duck for Corky to a couple of 15s for Pothas and Howell, things were looking mighty ominous for the home side. 4 wickets fell to a rather imperious Dernbach, with two for Arafat, two for Linley and one apiece for Schofield and Spriegel. I’m pretty sure even the most faithful of Hants supporters would have considered going home at the half way break!

If they did then they would soon have been regretting missing out on one heck of an exciting game. The skipper followed up his single run in the last game with, you guessed it, a single run in this one. I said RHB would have his day – and he will – but it seemingly wasn’t meant to be today. And when Davies, with the score still on 1, followed his captain back up the steps Dominic Cork must have been scenting blood! Worse followed when the experienced de Bruyn was out for 5 with the score on a measly 24, and when Maynard was dismissed for 14 (and then Wilson next ball for a duck) it looked as if another calamitous collapse was on the cards!

Thank heavens then for Jason Roy! I have the feeling (and indeed hope fervently) I may be saying that a lot in future years. He, ably assisted by Spriegel, was the main difference between winning and losing today. Yes, it was a long and protracted journey towards that 142 total that put me slightly in mind of my new treadmill: a lot of huffing and puffing but getting nowhere fast. But riding his luck once again and staying in to make 76 before being bowled was the main factor that Surrey now finds themselves near the top – if not at the top – of their CB40 group. Schofield came in and smashed the last couple of runs required to take them over the line, and although Roy wasn’t there at the end I’m sure he will reflected well upon his performance.

Credit to Spriegel for sticking with him to the end and playing such a pivotal role. His 29 not out was the third highest score in the entire game! And much credit to RHB for his constant mixing up of the bowlers; chopping and changing so that the opposition couldn’t settle at all. He showed a great deal of nous, and certainly in the shorter game he seems very tactically aware. The changes in bowlers he made today, and the times he made those changes, seemed almost inspired.

And so, with a second win under their belts the Surrey Lions can look forward to their next championship game against Leicestershire on Wednesday. Surrey seems to have a reasonable record against them, I think. At least a certain M.R.Ramprakash does. Will he be in the squad? What position will he play if he is? I had heard some ugly rumours about him possibly opening...but that does seem like wasting your best asset. Would you drive your Rolls Royce in a cross-country rally? Openers are there to take the sting out the new ball. Exposing your best player to it straight away seems like sheer lunacy to me, although given the number of times in the past that Ramps has had to come in early with the first wicket down I suppose he may as well open...

Back to the Oval. I mentioned earlier that our very own Deirdre’s ashes scattering took place today. By all accounts it was a very moving experience, even if she did turn up late to her own ceremony! The Rampants who made it to the Oval extend their thanks to the groundsman who both met their party and allowed them on to the pitch. Final word, I think, should go to one of our founding members, Fiona, who expressed the following sentiments on the scattering of Dee’s ashes:

“Gosh it was so very moving - her little patch of grass on the Oval pitch where she will now always be... Oh, and Dee, don't think we don't realise that it was you who ordered that great big gust of wind that took you floating up all over the members area!! Good girl! And her being late was SO Elizabeth Taylor. It was a very lovely day.”

God speed, lovely Dee! xxx

Burning, drowning and daylight thievery!

Well, the game involving the Surrey 2nd team went rather nicely!

Jason Roy made a not out century for a start, and whilst I’m told he rode his luck on a few occasions he was still there at the end, so fair play to him! He’s shaping up to be the star that many people have said he’d be. And from a more Rampant perspective the even better news was that Ramps made 90! Barring any aggravated knee problems it looks as if the man himself may well be in contention for a possible start against Leics next week! If he does manage this, all I can say is ‘wow’! He must be a really quick healer given the severity of the initial injury back in November. I recollect an awful lot of people predicting he would immediately quit the game as a result. But I guess until you test yourself in a first class match, with all the pressure and exertion that goes with it, how can you make a judgement?

Today Surrey took on Scotland at the Oval in their first CB40 game of the season. I think most sane people would have predicted the Surrey win that ensued (quite comfortably in the end), but Scotland shouldn’t be completely written off. They have one or two players, especially bowlers, who can do the business when required and may well be capable of pulling off the odd shock here and there. Steven Davies yet again fell just short of a century, whilst Roy batted extremely well following on from his century yesterday for the Surrey 2nds. De Bruyn and Maynard delivered the coup de grace in super-quick time, with 7 wickets in hand. The only slight disappointment was the skipper, who holed out quite early on in proceedings; although I’m sure his day will come. As for Scotland; I think they will be a much tougher force on their home turf of the Grange in Edinburgh.

I have interesting memories of the Grange. It is, after all, my local ground: in fact it is 15 mins on the bus from my house. I pass it every day on the way to work, and it always makes me smile to remember the previous occasions I’ve been there. You see, something always happens when I do go to the Grange.

In what I believe was 2007 I went to my first game at the ground. I think it was a 40 over game against Lancashire which, given that Anderson and Flintoff were both playing, they won comfortably. It was about the only thing that was comfortable, however, as I ended up with sunstroke and – just to make my life even more interesting – a massive reaction to the sunlight which caused the skin of my right hand to swell up dramatically so that I resembled ‘The Thing’ from The Fantastic Four. I got sent home from work next day as I couldn’t type at all with it. Even the local pharmacist said she’d never seen a reaction like it before. It felt as though someone had actually microwaved my hand!

In (possibly) 2008 some of the Scottish Rampants attended the Scotland v England game at the Grange. The weather was utterly miserable! Admittedly there was little chance of sunstroke but we sat huddled together under umbrellas for a large portion of the game, until it got so bad they eventually called it off! We traipsed up town in search of a suitable pub to dry off in, so I guess it wasn’t all bad...

Then in 2009 I managed to snag a couple of freebie tickets to a Scotland v Warwickshire game, again I think it was a 40 over match. My sister accompanied me, initially quite keen (the word ‘free’ might have had something to do with it). Unfortunately she has the attention span of an earwig and soon got bored. Despite the fact that I was trying out my new camera’s super-zoom (the one that broke at the Oval last year) and was happily snapping away at Mr Clarke and Mr Troughton amongst others, she decided the beer-fuelled antics of the drunken Brummies behind us were too much and we left early. The moment we left, one of the aforementioned beered-up supporters ran on to the field and stole one of the bails...

So, you see, it’s all go at the Grange! I’m really looking forward to going this year, hopefully with one or two of the Rampants as well. Fingers crossed it won’t end in burning/drowning/daylight thievery!

End of season blues

So, there we have it. Another county championship ends; heralding the true start of autumn. Now all I have to look forward to are increasingly dark days, overuse of my SAD lamp and the inexorable slithering towards the festive period. There’s always the horse racing, I suppose, and the prospect of watching Ann Widdecombe being manhandled around the Strictly Come Dancing studio floor by an exasperated Anton Du Bec! Whose body will give out first, I wonder?

And please, if they get to Samba week, no pink tail-feathers on AW’s costume. I don’t think my mind could take it...

It was lovely to see Surrey sign off with a win, and in such dramatic fashion! They do seem adept at these random last-gasp rescues! That amazingly tense finish to the 2007 championship against Lancashire will live with me forever. I was so pleased to witness it, even although there was a part of me that felt very sad for Lancs. Then that amazing game last year against Middlesex on a very cold day in May 2009, where they turned almost certain defeat into an incredible draw at the last moment. Run-outs, stumpings, you name it: Surrey pulled it out the bag! If I had a favourite piece of commentary by Mark Church it would most likely be this one.

There have been some tight games since but the defeat of Gloucestershire by 10 runs, thanks at the end to an inspired Jade Dernbach who took two wickets in two balls, ranks alongside them. Well played Surrey! I have to say I thought the declaration a tad generous, but it proves what most people no doubt think: when it comes to cricket I know absolutely nothing!

There have been highs and lows throughout the season, most of which I have documented. The highs were so huge they had snow covering them: the glorious 40 over world record against Glamorgan, Ramps’ imperious 1st innings double century & 2nd innings century (although I still think they should have stuck the team in again), Andre Nel’s bravery doing his best on one leg...it takes a skilled man to hop round the wicket and bowl! There have been many others too, such as Jason Roy becoming the first Surrey man in history to score 100 in a T20 game.

And there have been massive lows, too; many of which were just too depressing to name! It was sad to see Michael Brown unable to bat at all this year due to injury/rehabilitation/surgery. His top order stability was much missed this season, and it must have been desperately frustrating for the poor man to sit on the sidelines and watch as his team struggled at times. It was also sad to see Usman Afzaal being released by the club, although the writing appeared to be on the wall for a good few months.

The undoubted successes of the year were Steven Davies and in particular Chris Tremlett. Considering Tremlett had a reputation for disintegrating if you so much as sneezed a mile downwind in his direction, the boy done good! In fact I’d be surprised if he didn’t get Surrey player of the year to be honest, sad as it is for Ramps not to win it for the umpteenth time.

Talking of the great man, he managed to finish top batsmen for Surrey by some distance. He also managed to be top run scorer in both divisions (a fact that seems to have gone remarkably unreported), although Hildreth topped the averages this year. Whilst not a vintage Ramprakash season by his own standards, nigh on 1600 runs and five centuries including two doubles isn’t to be sneezed at for a spritely 41 year old.

The highlight of my London trip was watching him bat. Sure, it would have been nice to witness him get a half century but just to be able to see the way he went about composing an innings, taking his time to start with and getting himself in before slowly going through the gears, was a real treat for me. I’d heard it oft described, and finally I managed to see it for myself. Fingers crossed he’s back next year for one last hurrah! I guess he doesn’t really owe Surrey any favours but I do hope he sees his contract out next year. I have the feeling the club still desperately needs his experience.

And if he chooses not to, well, how to you go about replacing the irreplaceable? I think Chris Adams already knows the answer to that one. Quite simply: you can’t.

So, Surrey end the season with a touch of deja vu. They end third from bottom, like last year, although with three more games won than last time. Progress of sorts, most certainly. If they had taken the chances that had come their way, or converted those narrow defeats into victories, they may have challenged for promotion at the end. But the team as a whole is still green, still learning their trade, with much still to do before they can climb the Division 2 ladder. However, from a Surrey point of view at least the club can take one positive from the season...

They finished above Middlesex again.

Strikes, Slings and Soggy pitches

First of all, the good news!

Gary Wilson claimed his maiden first class century today! A big ‘huzzah’ for Mr Chirpy, who really battled hard and put on a worthy display. He eventually went for a fantastic and well crafted 125.

Jason Roy got his maiden first class half century! A very encouraging display, and an indication that although he likes to go for his shots he can knuckle down and graft. I think it would be fair to say that there have been doubts about his stickability from certain quarters, but he’s certainly one to keep an eye on in the future.

As for the not quite so good news, it would be fair to say that Ramps probably had hoped to add more than zero to his overnight score, and I imagine he would be pretty annoyed to get bowled by Hoggard (it was always going to be him) so early on this morning. Still, he may not feel satisfied exactly but his contribution to the final innings tally of 483, with maximum batting points, was sizeable to say the least, so he can take some consolation from that.

I tweeted at lunchtime to say that knowing my luck I would get home in time for the heavens to open and for the game to lose the whole afternoon session to the weather. I can’t claim to challenge Mystic Meg for once, because the elements were always going to close in and wreck the game. It doesn’t look promising for tomorrow either. Leicestershire are currently 32-0, and if things don’t improve then this is the way it’s going to stay for some time!

Not exactly good news, but not bad news either:

Michael Brown tweeted to say he’d gone under the knife for treatment on his elbow injury. I suppose if something’s got to get done, I guess it’s got to get done. But who wants to have their arm sliced open? Poor Browny seemed rather stoical about the whole thing. Personally, I’d have spent the whole day hiding in a cupboard somewhere so the surgeons couldn’t find me. Best wishes to Michael from all the Rampants, and here’s hoping he makes a complete recovery so that he’s fighting fit and ready to do battle next year for Surrey.

And now the really, irritatingly woeful news:

There’s a bleedin’ tube strike on the 7th September. I am cursed with trips to London, I swear it. Liz and I will just have to roll up our trouser legs and flash our ankles at a passing taxi driver in the hope they take pity on us!

Grrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

Sooner or later, karma’s always going to get you!

I am happy to report that Kenny Kennington’s fast footwork was not required in today’s game, as the Lions absolutely thumped a rather lacklustre, er...what are they called these days? They used to be the Sabres but I’m informed they now go by the rather catchy name of ‘Somerset.’ Surely a team that boasts the likes of Trescothic and Hildreth deserves a catchy name!

The atmosphere seemed pretty charged at the Oval this evening and, judging by the way the crowd got behind the team (no doubt fuelled by yesterday’s gritty championship win), this must have spurred Surrey on into over-achieving. Having won the toss and elected to bat first, the total they posted wasn’t exactly commanding, and yet it was certainly a solid one. And then – knock me down with a paper clip – young Lancefield opened the batting with Mr Ramprakash! Ramps, opening??? It’s been a few years since that happened!

You will recall that Surrey are missing a few players at the moment. Gareth Batty has apparently broken his finger, although it didn’t stop him from screaming delightedly in the commentary box whenever Surrey were doing well (it really was brilliant commentary on tonight’s game)! Michael Brown was a little more restrained with his comments from what should be termed ‘crock’s corner’, instead settling for telling Pollard off whenever he got up to anything not really in the spirit of the game. Quite right, too!

There were one or two annoyed Rampants listening in as Pollard decided he was going to shoot his mouth off to Mr R. Nobody had evidently told Pollard that sledging never works on Ramps. I couldn’t help but chuckle at Michael Brown’s insistence that the cricketing gods had taken their revenge on Pollard during the game for all the rather foolish things he’d done. I was awaiting a Monty Python-style giant foot to come hurtling down from the sky to squash him!

Lancefield did not too badly on his T20 debut and made 16 before being caught by Suppiah, but there followed a nice little partnership between Jason Roy and Mark Ramprakash which lasted until 96 runs were on the board, with Ramps getting caught by Trescothic for 34. I was just glad Pollard didn’t catch him. Could you imagine the gloating, considering all the lip he was giving?

And not just Mr Ramprakash, for it sounded as if Jason Roy copped some backchat as well, as Pollard patrolled the pitch like a malevolent Dalek. I guess you expect it in cricket these days, and I suppose in certain circumstances sledging can be mildly amusing. It’s a rather underhand tactic though, in my opinion, and rather than simply being another weapon in a bowler’s armoury I tend to view it as unimaginative and showing a lack of faith in one’s ability to get the batsman out with deeds rather than words.

Roy was a joy – again! After Ramps went he put on a further excellent partnership with the skipper (or the stripper as I accidentally dubbed him, much to the amusement of the Rampants), Younus Khan having gone for only 2 runs previously. Surrey did look like they were teetering a touch, with the runs just about coming but gradually drying up. Fortunately Roy hit 3 sixes to get the score moving again, pushing on whenever the innings looked in danger of stagnating. RHB made 25, and Roy hit an impressive 74 before he was caught. Walters remained not out on 1 at the end, with Wilson being run-out for the same score off the last ball.

With 172 needed to win Somerset would have fancied their chances on a good batting surface like the Oval. It seemed a total that was just a smidge better than par. But if Roy had been a hero with the bat, Spriegel proved equally brilliant with the ball. The rapidity in which Somerset lost their top order was quite astonishing, and never really allowed them back into the game. Compton (1) went first to a re-energised Tremlett, hyped up after yesterdays win no doubt, and then the massive wicket of Trescothic fell to Spriegel for 4, with de Bruyn falling almost immediately afterwards to Schofield for a duck! In T20 it is so difficult to pull that kind of thing back. A brief word of praise for Mr Meaker, who took his first ever T20 wicket, made all the sweeter no doubt by whose it was! *cough* Pollard *cough*

When Tremlett got Hildreth for 10 it was Surrey’s game to lose. Young Buttler played excellently and for a time looked like he was holding things together for Somerset, but the mounties always get their man and eventually Wilson had him stumped for 29. It was pretty much game over at that point, leaving Surrey fans in the crowd to bask in what was an inevitable win.

Suppiah made 13, Phillips 5, whilst Kartik (16no) and Turner (11no) were left trying to keep an eye on the run-rate situation. With so many teams bunching in the table behind Sussex (who lost to Middlesex) these things might well determine who gets a qualifying spot and who doesn’t.

And what of Pollard, I hear you ask?

Well, he made 19 with the bat, swaggered around in the field, made lots of errors and nearly fell down the stairs as well. He played very well for Surrey, overall. Pity he didn’t do so well for Somerset!

Stylish Styris sneaks it

 
So near and yet so far!!! Ugh! How frustrating to fall at the very last hurdle!!!

And yet, whilst we are muttering disconsolately and kicking inanimate objects (I refuse to kick either of my cats) let us not forget the brilliant batting of Mr Styris, who snatched the game away from under Surrey’s noses in the final over. And it wasn’t all doom and gloom. I personally didn’t feel the same deflation as I did against Sussex, even although the result serves to widen the contest even further in the Southern group. There is a huddle of teams on the same amount of points, the Lions being one of them, all bunching up for a crack at qualification. A win would have put Surrey in a mighty fine position but as it stands they aren’t dead in the water. Best not to send for the undertakers just yet: there’s still life in this competition!

Essex won the toss (a bad sign if ever there was one) and to many people’s surprise stuck Surrey in first. We all waited to find out if the skipper was going to have one of his Blitzkrieg days or whether he was going to fall for less than double figures, and as it transpired he went for 7. It’s a real pity, because talented or otherwise, if RHB was playing in the capacity of a regular player rather than a captain he might well have found his place in the team coming under scrutiny. That’s not me being harsh, as I have pretty much been in the Chris Adams camp since he came onboard with Surrey. It is true though that Rory’s position does to a degree protect him. Next time out he’ll no doubt be back to blasting quick fire 50s, so it would be wrong to harp on about any blips in form. Every batsman has those.

Fortunately, Davies once again kicked on. I’m a fan of the talented Davies, and I’m even more of a fan of the resilient ‘stick-around-and-bat-long’ attitude he’s taken of late. Jason Roy, having been the hero of a few days ago, was once more batting at three. I think in T20 there’s nothing wrong with him having the third spot, although hopefully it will take the devil and a stick of dynamite to shift Ramps from that position in the championship. Talking of Mr R, he made a much welcome return to the squad in fourth spot in place of Younus Khan, something I had advocated previously. I’m pretty certain my pleas on this blog had zero to do with the team selection, mind you!

Jason Roy certainly showed some very deft shots but it was always going to be difficult to replicate his immense innings of the previous game and Kaneria, who had a very good spell with the ball, eventually had him stumped him for 29 by Foster. Davies contributed a magnificent 89, just when everyone thought there may well be another Surrey centurion in the offing, whilst Ramps made a useful 35 before being stumped by Foster. The only other batsman to put any useful total on the board was Symonds with 17. Batty made yet another T20 duck, whilst Schoey (1) and Walters (7) were both not out at the end but had run out of overs to really add anything worthwhile to the final tally of 187.

187 isn’t a bad score, but whether it was because in the last few games Surrey have posted over 200 and we have suddenly come to expect it, somehow 187 didn’t feel as if it might be enough. And so it actually proved. Had they managed 200 things might have been very different, although much credit has to be given to Essex at the end of their bowling spell. They were in real danger of being trampled by the Lion’s charge and they managed to get right back into it at the death. Between you and me however, we managed to pinpoint the source of the problem as Jean admitted that when Ramps was batting she got up to put the kettle on. The curse of the Rampants strikes again! And just to further prove the jinx exists, Jean further admitted culpability with “I got Batty as well...went for some food...I hang my head!”

Sorry Ramps. Sorry GB. It was Jean wot did for you!

Before the start of the Essex reply those Rampants with access to Sky (who are pointedly reminding we satellite-less peasants that they can see everything we can’t!) informed us that Mr R had not only taken the ball from the umpires and had marked out his run-up, but was shaping up as if he was going to have a bowl! Even with a few test wickets to his name it seemed unlikely, and judging by the grin on his face it must have surprised a few of the Essex team before Tremlett walked up to the plate! Nice joke, sir!

The Surrey fielding was by and large pretty sharp today. When I think back to the awful, ghastly mess of two years back it’s like chalk and cheese. I know there are one or two people who aren’t the biggest fans of Chris Adams but if he has done one immensely important thing it’s to get the team to remember how to pick up and throw the ball! Early success occurred for the Lions when Cook went for 11, and ten balls later Ramps caught Walker for just 1 run. Bopara eventually played a really silly shot at exactly the wrong time and went for 27, at which point Surrey must have thought it was going to be a walk in the park. I’m pretty sure even the most vociferous of Essex supporters, whose raucous yelling and screeching made me wonder if I was being transported back two centuries to a fight in a bear pit, must have thought it could well be curtains for their team.

I even ventured to say that we might be possibly on for a win. Big, big mistake.

If I say that getting Philips out on 30 near the end made little difference you will get an idea of the superhuman effort by Styris. What an incredible piece of batting! He was very nearly caught at the end which would have turned the tables on Essex, but the momentum was very strongly with them in the latter part of the game. There was one massive over where he took twenty plus off a Tremlett over, which was not only a shame from a Surrey point of view but a real pity for Tremlett, who had done a magnificent job with the ball up to that point. You don’t see many maiden overs in T20 but that is exactly what happened earlier. The fact that Essex came back the way they did shows you precisely how massive Styris was.

I actually switched the sound down. It’s not that I didn’t want to hear Churchy or Johnny Barran but, ever the optimist, I was still fairly confident that Surrey would somehow scramble home in that last over. And if they didn’t I wasn’t looking forward to hearing all the braying fans filling up the ground in Chelmsford. Good lord, they really are loud!

I’m pretty glad I switched it off, given the result.

Oh well. Styris’ knock was pretty special, and it took a monumental effort from one man to stop Surrey from winning. I’m not sure Symonds was the right choice to bowl the last over to be honest, but that doesn’t detract from a very fine performance from both teams and from Styris in particular, who navigated the enormous run rate to finely timed perfection with a barrage of boundaries and sixes.

Maybe we should have let Ramps have a bowl after all!

Jason Roy: The Lion King

201-4.

You have to agree, that looks a lot healthier than the scores in the first two Surrey games! I'm reminded of the Pink Panther films at this point, with Inspector Dreyfuss repeatedly chanting "every day and in every way, I'm getting better and better." Of course, the character went completely round the twist, but it could nonetheless be Surrey's new motto. The team's bowling has on the whole been really good this T20, whilst the batting has been (literally) a bit hit and miss. But there are green shoots of recovery beginning to sprout in the batting department - specifically in the form of Jason Roy.

There are still some problem areas, but then I guess nobody's perfect. The skipper does only seem to have one way of playing: eyes shut and at full throttle. Sometimes it works and takes the game away from the opposition very quickly. Sometimes, like today, he gets out for 6 playing a very silly shot. Fortunately, in the last few games one of the biggest plus points is that when one opener goes for a low score the other now kicks on. In my opinion this is the real difference in the considereably larger Surrey totals of late. Of course, it helps to win the toss as well, like today!

Jason Roy threatened to show his potential last night: today he did just that. 101 not out, and only 19 years of age! Today must have been very special for him, and if you were to take away his 101, the score looks ever so slightly poor! That's not to say that there weren't contributions from others: Davies once again posted a worthy score, falling 8 short of a half century. And Symonds also contributed at exactly the right time, chipping in with 31 before being caught and bowled.

If Surrey have a tiny weak link in the batting at the moment I would hesitate to suggest it might be Younus Khan. Apart from sharing in the winning stand with Ramps a few weeks back, he hasn't really contributed consistantly with the bat. He is a classy player, no mistake, but he doesn't really seem to have clicked. I am a touch biased, but I would be tempted to bring Ramps back in the side and replace Younus with him, unless of course Mr R is carrying some kind of injury we haven't been told about.

Walters was 2 not out at the end, but Jason Roy had already taken Kent to the cleaners.

In reply Kent got off to the worst possible start. Rob Key, the pink faced cherub of county cricket, went for a duck. Then to make matters worse Geraint Jones fell for 5 shortly afterwards, and gun man Stevens made only 7. My old favourite Azhar Mahmood put on a bit of a charge, finding the boundary regularly before chancing his hand too many times, being caught by Schofield for 34.

Whilst Van Jaarsveld remained in there was always a chance, but poor Blake managed to get stuck on strike an awful lot and a flurry of dot balls resulted, breaking the rhythm of the Kent innings. Single handedly Van Jaarsveld kept the game alight, a mark of a great batsman if ever there was one. But finally he went for 82, and when Blake followed shortly afterwards for 14 it was pretty much game over. Tredwell contributed 6 but went in the last over, and Coles was stumped off the last ball of the game, also for 6. Northeast was the man not out on 5 at the end, but it didn't matter as the game resulted in an emphatic victory for Surrey in what was possibly their best T20 game so far in the contest.

Symonds picked up a fivefer in the bowling stakes, but the day belonged fully to Jason Roy: first Surrey batsman to make a T20 hundred! I hope we see lots more of him in the T20. Something tells me we will! Although I'm worried this means Ramps is going to be totally sidelined from the team, which would sadden me greatly.

Lions find their roar!

Another win for Surrey! And, apart from the odd mistake here and there, it was a very accomplished win.

Ramps was given time off for good behaviour, and young Jason Roy stepped into a very large pair of shoes indeed. Thankfully, from what we have seen of him it looks like he can do a job for Surrey, and I wouldn’t complain of seeing Roy come into the middle order again. Could he be one to step in to Afzaal’s shoes now that Usman seems to have fallen very firmly out of favour? I’m not just talking T20 here but the championship as well, or would that be too much too soon? Whatever, I find the prospect of a RHB/Davies/Ramps/Roy/Symonds line-up a very interesting one if they all fire at the same time!

I realise I write rather boring match reports so I thought I’d give you a potted version (this is laziness on my part, and also because I have tired eyes (not to mention a pulled muscle where a person ideally shouldn’t have one). So, here goes.

Surrey win toss, bat first. Davies goes ballistic. Lots of crash, bash, wallop (not talking happy slapping here btw). RHB joins in. Davies still going ballistic. RHB goes for ten, the naughty boy!

Davies still swinging the bat. I blink, refresh the BBC page to check, he’s on 60 from 25 balls! He’s looking good, says Churchy! Then he’s gone. Curse of commentator strikes again!

Roy comes in next. We’re sniffling into our hankies coz it’s not Ramps. Roy looking mighty fine, says Churchy! Ooops – Roy goes for a brief but appealing knock of 12 from 11 balls.

Stewie Walters comes in. Makes 7. Goes off again.

Younus creeping about, getting on with his business. The fact I hardly realise he’s there whilst he accumulates his 21 shows how much Symonds commands the attention.

Symonds is in ‘Kerplunk’ mode again: you make a wrong move and he’ll have your balls.

There’s a total of 5 fours and 3 sixes. The crowd are very happy that they’ve got to see the version of Symonds that would sooner eat a child for breakfast with some Fava beans than sign a few mini bats after the game.

I can’t tell you what happened to Symonds to bring his innings to an end on 63. It involved a run out of some description, but I was downstairs tucking into salad so I don’t know who was to blame. I’ll blame the Lionesses for being too distracting whilst flashing their pompoms.

Now, where were we? Ah, yes.

Schoey: run out for 3.

Batty: bowled for 3.

Spriegel and Nel not out on 1 & 6 respectively.

There, that was nice and abridged!

And now the Hampshire innings:


We won! What does it matter?!? Yippeeeeee!

In seriousness, a good game by two teams who tried their hardest. That no-ball from Nel at the end had my heart in my mouth! It’s good to see the teams able to tackle games head on, without the likes of Ramps and Dernbach in their side. Davies finally made the powerful and explosive innings we know that he can. The skipper actually won a toss (he’s a bit like Mark Butcher in this respect: the pair of them are useless tossers – in a non vulgar way), the squad will go into tomorrow’s game with some fire in their bellies, and to cap off a very fine if sadly Rampsless day, we had this brilliant piece of commentary from Mark Church regarding a somewhat dubious piece of fielding from Hampshire’s Dominic Cork:

"What an embarrassing moment...it’s a pity TV aren't here!"