Blazing Brown
By Ben Horne
June 18 2006
Ali Brown hit 126 not out as Surrey beat Somerset with a day to spare in the County Championship at Bath. He shared in a stand of 188 with Rikki Clarke who made 77. This win means that Surrey are 30 points ahead of second place Worcestershire.
Day one
Surrey won the toss and decided to bowl. This looked the correct decision as Somerset were reduced to 38 for 4, with Bicknell and Mo Akram both taking two wickets. Hildreth and Parsons started a recovery with a partnership of 97. However both were dismissed in quick succession to leave Somerset 155 for 6. Gazzard and Trego added 67, with Gazzard making 32. Trego then shared in a stand of 55 with Johnson. He fell to Bicknell for 22, who took his fourth wicket. Bicknell claimed his fifth when he removed Caddick for 16. Somerset closed on 335 for 9, with Trego the star performer of the day as he was unbeaten on 103.
Day Two
Akram picked up the wicket of Trego early on for 110, as Somerset were bowled out for 342.
Charl Willoughby removed both openers to leave Surrey 51 for 2. Johnson took the next wicket of Butcher for 5, but Ramprakash and Brown added 106 to take Surrey to 171 for 5. Ramprakash was then joined by Clarke and they put on 50.
Neil Saker took the first three wickets of the innings as Somerset reached 87 for 3. Wood and White took the score to 148 at the close. Wood reached 51 not out, while White was unbeaten on 44.
Day Three
Saker took the first wicket of the day as he trapped Wood leg before wicket for 69. Parsons was next to go as he also fell leg before wicket with Salisbury taking the wicket. Akram took the key wicket of White for 108 to leave Somerset 258 for 7. Salisbury took the wickets of Caddick and Gazzard as Somerset were bowled out for 276.
Newman fell early on, again to Willoughby. Batty was next to go as he was adjudged leg before wicket to Johnson for 27. Butcher and Ramprakash added 57, but both fell to Willoughby as Surrey reached 129 for 4. Ali Brown and Rikki Clarke then shared in a match wining partnership of 188. Clarke made 77 from 95 balls but fell before the end to Durston. He also took the wicket of Benning, but Brown led Surrey home with 126 not out from 121 balls, which included 23 fours and one six.