Roundup: Surrey collapse against Middlesex
A remarkable mid-afternoon collapse saw Surrey surrender an excellent start to the London derby against Middlesex at the Oval, losing six wickets for just seven runs as a handsome 135-0 melted into 146-6 at stumps.
For as long as Rory Burns and Mark Stoneman remained at the crease life appeared breezy for Surrey – even if it was blowing a gale throughout, the weather refusing to offer a warm welcome as paying spectators returned to the Oval. But Middlesex came out after lunch with renewed purpose, the interval followed by eight overs in which just two singles were scored. They did not lose their focus when that period brought no reward, the batsmen regrouped and in successive overs both completed half-centuries.
After being put in to bat in tough conditions, under leaden skies with the floodlights on and that vicious wind whipping across the ground, Burns survived an uncomfortable opening over from Tim Murtagh but settled from there, and it was off Murtagh that he reached his half-century, for the fifth innings in succession, with a lovely straight drive. Stoneman had narrowly beaten him to the milestone, also with a four, and less happily their dismissals also came in successive overs.
Stoneman was the first to go, extremely unfortunate to be given out after the ball flicked a pad on its way through to John Simpson, the Middlesex keeper. Ethan Bamber soon had Burns lbw, and over the following quarter of an hour Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes and Jamie Smith were dismissed without scoring and Jordan Clark managed just a single. In the circumstances, Surrey will have been grateful that it was not only tea that poured at the next interval, with rain giving them until the morning to regroup.
With similar conditions across the country the only team to choose to bat were Warwickshire, who were swiftly shown the error of their ways at Chelmsford. Will Rhodes, the captain who made the fateful call, was first to go for 10, the first of four players dismissed by Peter Siddle, who was presented with his county cap at lunch. Dom Sibley’s resolute 120-ball 43 slowed Essex’s progress, and Tim Bresnan cemented his unlikely place at the top of Warwickshire’s batting averages with an unbeaten 47 as the visitors ended the day on 159-7.
It took until 4.30pm for Kent’s match against Glamorgan to get under way because of overnight downpours, with four other matches completing less than their 22 overs , so many teams will start day two with an almost clean slate. Nottinghamshire would have been among them, but lost two wickets in the final seven deliveries at Trent Bridge to stumble to 51-3 against Worcestershire. At the Ageas Bowl, where play started on Wednesday, Hampshire ended the day on 223-7 against Leicestershire with Ian Holland top-scoring with 82 and Ed Barnes, for the first time in his career, taking three wickets.
The ECB meanwhile has confirmed that Jofra Archer will have surgery on his right elbow tomorrow, after which they will provide an update about his prognosis.
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And with that, I’m off. A round-up of today’s action will appear shortly, and I’ll be back tomorrow. Bye!
STUMPS: It’s all over at Chelmsford, where after a two-hour wait they come on, play for 10 minutes and then leave again. Warwickshire are 159-7 there, with Tim Bresnan at the crease and leading their batting averages.
As they go off at Canterbury they come on at Southampton, where play between Hampshire and Leicestershire has resumed. They want to play another 15 and a bit overs before the day’s out.
RAIN! The covers are coming on at Canterbury, where they have squeezed 22 overs into the day. Kent are 70-2.
They’re going to try to squeeze in a bit more cricket at Chelmsford.
Play will resume at 6:15pm if conditions hold.#ESSvWAR
— Essex Cricket (@EssexCricket) May 20, 2021
The pitch inspection at Trent Bridge has resulted in the scheduling of another pitch inspection.
UPDATE | The umpires are returning following a brief foray into the middle to meet with the groundstaff.
— Nottinghamshire CCC (@TrentBridge) May 20, 2021
There will be another inspection at 6pm.#NottsvWorcs pic.twitter.com/U2KiZKkyid
Another one goes at Canterbury, where Kent’s 60-0 has become 62-2.
𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦!
— Glamorgan Cricket 🏏 (@GlamCricket) May 20, 2021
It's TvdG again. It's Lloyd with the catch again. Zak Crawley is gone for a duck!
📺 https://t.co/FwzmS5iJzT#KENTvGLAM | #GoGlam pic.twitter.com/PmYjqhhs9u
WICKET! Ollie Robinson is the first to go at Canterbury, for a pretty rapid 43, Timm van der Gugten making the breakthrough for Glamorgan. Kent are 60-1 now.
𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛!
— Glamorgan Cricket 🏏 (@GlamCricket) May 20, 2021
TvdG gets the edge, Lloyd takes the catch, and there's the first wicket! ☝️
📺 https://t.co/FwzmS5iJzT#KENTvGLAM | #GoGlam pic.twitter.com/cx2P1Zdsqh
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STUMPS! It’s all over at the Oval, the day ending with Surrey on 146-6.
I can see a rainbow! The sun has come out at the Oval, but there are a lot of covers out and they all look pretty drenched, so I’m not sure it will bring any cricket.
STUMPS! Meanwhile there will be no more play today at Derby, where Derbyshire are 48-0 against Durham, or at Northampton, where Lancashire are 59-0.
The revenge of Kent! For so long the only match without any play, at the moment the only match with any play is at Canterbury. They’ve already had 13 overs there and the home side aren’t hanging around: Ollie Robinson has 42 off 53 and Jordan Cox 17 off 29, and Kent are 59 without loss.
STUMPS! It’s all over at Bristol, where the rain is refusing to stop and they’ll have another go in the morning. Somerset are 45-1 after 20.2 overs.
STUMPS🏏
— Gloucestershire Cricket🏏 (@Gloscricket) May 20, 2021
Unfortunately play has been abandoned today.
Somerset will resume play on the second day on 45/1.
Scorecard ➡️ https://t.co/w9WY7qzgT3#GoGlos💛🖤 pic.twitter.com/csKKzzPUcT
ACTION! Cricket is actually being played at Canterbury, where that waterlogged outfield has finally dried up enough to let play get under way, and Kent are 12 without loss after two overs.
Surrey traipse off for tea on 146-6. Remarkable scenes. They have been blown away in the gale here at the Oval. And it looks like some rain has been blown in, so we might be a bit late restarting.
The worst Surrey collapse since 1903, according to whoever’s feeding stats into Mike Atherton’s ear on Sky.
Jordan Clark goes for one, Andersson has a third, and from a dreamy 135-0 Surrey have lost six for seven and are a nightmarish 142-6!
And another one! Jamie Smith is caught at first slip off Tom Helm, and Surrey are 141-5!
Surrey’s innings since the first wicket:
W . . . . .
. . . . . W
. . . . . 2
. . . . . .
2 1 . . . .
. . . . . .
W . . . W .
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And another! Foakes comes in and Foakes goes back out again, caught behind off Andersson four balls later. Surrey are 140-4 now, and Middlesex’s prospects have been transformed in the space of 10 minutes.
And another! Ollie Pope goes for a duck, leg very much before wicket, off Martin Andersson and from 135-0 Surrey are 140-3.
Rory Burns has also now gone, lbw to Ethan Bamber. But replays show Stoneman’s dismissal to have been extremely unfortunate, the ball having clipped pad rather than bat on the way through to the keeper. Surrey are 140-2, with Ollie Pope and Hashim Amla at the crease.
WICKET! Middlesex finally make a breakthrough, Mark Stoneman caught behind off the 19-year-old Blake Cullen, who I’m reliably informed is extremely promising, for 63.
It’s now raining at Trent Bridge, and only three matches are currently in play: Warwickshire are now 113-5 against Essex at Chelmsford, which from 56-4 and 76-5 is not such a bad position; Surrey are 128-0 against Middlesex; and Derbyshire are 58 without loss against Durham. In one of the only matches where rain isn’t falling, Raine is bowling.
It’s Burns’ fifth successive half-century, and his sixth in eight innings. He’s still in search of his first century of the summer. His average in this year’s County Championship is currently 55.25.
Updated
Half-century! A lovely straight drive from Rory Burns brings up his fifty, off 134 balls. Stoneman beat him to it, with both players currently on 52.
Delay update: as it stands, there’s rain in Southampton, Northampton and Bristol, bad light in Derby, and a wet outfield in Canterbury.
Updated
A lovely round of applause as Surrey reach triple figures. Consider it a warm-up: with Burns on 47 and Stoneman on 48 there may well be some more clapping to do very shortly.
I’ve just been checking out Tom Lammonby’s last (and indeed only, he’s still 20) couple of seasons in first class cricket at Somerset. In 11 innings in 2020 he scored 41, 8, 1, 0, 33, 24, 101*, 28, 107*, 0 and 116, averaging 51. In 11 innings in 2021 he has now scored 5, 0, 0, 0, 8, 70*, 13, 9, 0, 0* and 3, averaging 12. Since the moment, on the first morning of the season, I announced on the blog that I was particularly looking forward to seeing him in action, it’s been pure misery for the lad. It can’t all be my fault, surely?
During the lunch break Peter Siddle was presented with his county cap. This is what he had to say about it:
Receiving my Cap is amazing, I love playing for the Club. I know I am getting towards the back end of my career, but to be able to play with a great group of guys and have success on the field, that is what it is all about. That’s why I continue to play. Some of the guys have become very close mates.
My official Surrey YouTube live feed “has been removed for violating YouTube’s policy on spam, deceptive practices, and scams”, which is a blow.
Although pretty much every captain across the country who was given a choice this morning decided to bowl, there haven’t been a lot of wickets taken so far. The exception to this is at Chelmsford, where Warwickshire are 58-4 with Dom Sibley on 29 and everyone else put together also on 29.
The covers are on here at the Oval, though the rain must be pretty light because I can’t see many umbrellas. It’s ludicrously windy, though. They’re also still off at Trent Bridge, with a pitch inspection due at 1.50pm.
It’s been a tough morning for Middlesex, who could have got a couple of lbw decisions but come out of it with nothing, while Surrey are going at more than three an over. Given Middlesex’s struggles with the bat this season, this is already looking a little ominous.
Lunch
It is time for lunch, and here are the scores on the doors:
Group One
Derbyshire 26-0 v Durham (Derby)
Essex v Warwickshire 55-3 (Chelmford)
Nottinghamshire 38-1 v Worcestershire (Trent Bridge)
Group Two
Gloucestershire v Somerset 45-1 (Bristol)
Surrey 95-0 v Middlesex (The Oval)
Hampshire 144-3 v Leicestershire (Ageas Bowl, Day 2)
Group Three
Kent v Glamorgan (Canterbury) No play before lunch
Northamptonshire v Lancashire 59-0 (Northampton)
There are lots of pictures of spectators around the country looking chilly. I’m nicely cocooned in a full insulated commentary box, but I’m reliably told by those who have been on the pitch that it is extremely cold and much too windy.
Not long ago at the Oval Mark Stoneman was on 23 and Rory Burns 7; now Burns is 32-27 up, and Stoneman has scored four runs off his last 20 balls faced.
Now bad light stops play at Bristol, with Somerset 23-1.
UPDATE
— Gloucestershire Cricket🏏 (@Gloscricket) May 20, 2021
The players have left the field due to bad light. Somerset are currently 23/1 and finding runs tough to come by 🏏
Scorecard 👉 https://t.co/w9WY7qzgT3#GoGlos 💛🖤
It’s raining at Trent Bridge, and play has been suspended. Ben Slater was dismissed for 15 off the final ball that was bowled, caught behind off Dillon Pennington.
Spot the difference:
OUCH! 😬
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 20, 2021
Rory Burns gets his head down to get through for a quick single and ends up flattening Middlesex wicketkeeper John Simpson!
Fortunately, both men are OK to continue. Surrey 22-0.
📺 Watch 👉 https://t.co/bT0CP9Q8No
📋 Scorecard 👉 https://t.co/NOTYEW3L7Z pic.twitter.com/lSCtxfFbtZ
An unusual moment here at the Oval: Rory Burns, dipping to complete a run, careered straight into John Simpson, the Middlesex wicketkeeper, who was coming to the stumps to complete a potential run-out, with a full-on, battering-ram, helmet-first smash. I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to be on the end of that, but Simpson seems fine, as indeed does Burns. The helmet, though, is unable to play on and a replacement is called for.
The first wicket of the day has fallen, and it sounds like a real mess. Tom Lammonby is averaging 12 this season, with four ducks in 11 innings.
WICKET!!
— Gloucestershire Cricket🏏 (@Gloscricket) May 20, 2021
A first wicket in front of the Gloucestershire crowd and its a direct hit run out from Ian Cockbain and Tom Lammonby is out for 3 🙌
Somerset 4/1 🏏
Watch Live 👉 https://t.co/NacJYSuYsT#GoGlos 💛🖤 pic.twitter.com/i8Cf1S0Jxb
No wickets to tell you about, but Murtagh’s opening over here was a cracker, featuring a very uncomfortable Rory Burns, a couple of very decent lbw shouts but no raised fingers.
BONG! The clock strikers 11. Tim Murtagh has the ball in his hand here and is ready to go. Action!
Middlesex have won the toss here and will bowl. Other toss-winners around the country are Worcestershire, Northamptonshire, Durham and Gloucestershire, who will all also have a bowl, and Warwickshire, who will bat. The toss at Kent v Glamorgan has been delayed because of a waterlogged outfield.
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Hello world!
Well then. I’m at the Oval and so are other people! As I type this, shortly after 10am, there are 32 civilians already in their seats, watching the players go through their warm-ups, and more are arriving in a steady trickle. This is already a good day. Plus, the voice of Mike Atherton is leaking through the flimsy wall separating me from Sky’s commentary box next door, and I’m finding it strangely reassuring.
The skies are steely grey, clouds thick but not terribly dark. Forecasters reckon we will probably make it through the day undampened. Still a good day.
Here’s the state of play in the County Championship. Points per game might be more useful than an overall points tally, so I’ve thrown that in as well, gratis:
Group One
Essex P6 76pts PPG12.67
Durham P5 73pts PPG14.6
Nottinghamshire P5 73pts PPG14.6
Worcestershire P6 70pts PPG11.67
Warwickshire P5 67pts PPG 13.4
Derbyshire P5 41pts PPG8.2
Today’s fixtures:
Derbyshire v Durham (Derby)
Essex v Warwickshire (Chelmford)
Nottinghamshire v Worcestershire (Trent Bridge)
Group Two
Gloucestershire P5 95pts PPG19
Somerset P6 91pts PPG15.17
Hampshire P6 82pts PPG13.67
Surrey P6 68pts PPG11.33
Middlesex P6 44pts PPG7.33
Leicestershire P5 40pts PPG8
Today’s fixtures:
Gloucestershire v Somerset (Bristol)
Surrey v Middlesex (The Oval)
Group Three
Yorkshire P6 98pts PPG16.33
Lancashire P5 93pts PPG18.6
Glamorgan P6 69pts PPG11.5
Northamptonshire P5 68pts PPG13.6
Sussex P6 64pts PPG10.67
Kent P6 49pts PPG8.17
Today’s fixtures:
Kent v Glamorgan (Canterbury)
Northamptonshire v Lancashire (Northampton)
Right then, down to business. As always, please do get in touch if something at all interesting happens in a game you’re watching. If you’re actually at a game today, let me know how you’re finding it. Feel free to send me photos of your views. Here’s mine, and welcome!
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