Roy roves to a hundred but Burns loses his cool

Darren reports on a day at Lords that had some typical features of this year alongside some more unusual features such as wickets fallig regulalry. Nicely set up for Day 2 thanks. And thanks for nice pictures.

Middx and Surrey locked horns for the fifth and final time this season, with Surrey ahead 2-1 with one drawn so far. Middx made 3 changes from their last Championship match at Somerset, including the welcome return of Compo for Robson (side strain), while Murts and TRJ returned for Fuller (side strain) and the unlucky Podmore who was replaced despite taking 7 wickets on debut as the seniority rule was applied as always by the coach.

Surrey made just one change with Tom Curran replacing Footitt from the side that crushed Hampshire last time out.

Morning Session - Surrey won the toss and elected to bat. For those that have seen Championship cricket at Lords this season this game followed a similar pattern as all those before. After 20 overs of the new ball the batters found scoring very easy, the short boundary on the Grand Stand side assisting even further.

During those first 20 overs Middx struck 3 times, firstly Murts trapped Sibley lbw for 3 (3^rd over) before repeating the same feat against the incoming Ansari for 1, leaving Surrey 23-2.

Aaron Finch – in his last match for Surrey – looked in excellent touch scoring 6 boundaries and a six off Murts over long off. This led to a double bowling change with Harris and Franklin replacing Murts and TRJ. Franklin claimed his 6^th Championship wicket of the season with just his 9^th ball, Finch falling lbw for 37 to a ball that kept very low. With Surrey on 70-3 Jason Roy joined Rory Burns at the crease and the pair batted very well putting on a 50 partnership before lunch. Burns looked in great touch and reached 50 on the stroke of lunch as Surrey closed the session on 125-3.

Afternoon Session – Burns and Roy continued to score freely with the ball very rarely beating the bat. The pair put on 118 for the 4^th wicket before Burns on 88 hooked a long hop from Harris to the point boundary with Bailey pouching the catch. Burns threw away the chance of a century and he knew it, berating himself as he trudged off.

Another familiar feature this season is the over rate reaching by -3 by mid-afternoon and Olllie being brought on to restore the over rate to zero whilst trying to take wickets of course. The rate duly improved before Ollie obliged with a wicket too in the last over before tea. Davies made 38 before becoming the 4^th lbw victim of the day to leave Surrey 271-5. Jason Roy was still undefeated on 95 having survived a chance to mid-wicket where a full length diving Malan got one hand to the chance but couldn’t hang on.

Evening session – Roy duly completed his 100 (133 balls, 191 mins, 14 x 4) before falling 10 runs later being caught at cover by the recalled Compo off TRJ. With second bowling point secures, on 74 overs with Surrey on 310-6 Margaret and I left for the Oval to watch Surrey Stars v Yorkshire Diamonds. Surrey ended the day on 384-8 with the Curran brothers being the other two wickets to fall (Sam b Franklin 20 and Tom lbw Harris 26). Ben Foakes closing on an unbeaten 53.

Given that the average number of wickets to fall at Lords on day 1 in the Championship this season is just 4, (7 being the most v Notts) you would have to say a good effort by our bowlers to stop Surrey really getting away from us. Hopefully we can knock the last two over early tomorrow and enjoy a good day at the crease. 

Burns holes out

Roy gets to a hundred