County Championship 2022. Division 1. Surrey v Somerset. 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th April 2022. The Oval.
Lewis Gregory was unavailable for selection by Somerset through injury.
Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, M.T. Renshaw, T.B. Abell (c), T. Banton, J.C. Hildreth, S.M. Davies (w), C. Overton, J.H. Davey, J. Leach, P.M. Siddle, J.A. Brooks.
Surrey. R.J. Burns (c), R.S. Patel, H.M. Amla, O.J.D. Pope, B.T. Foakes (w), S.M. Curran, W.G. Jacks, J. Overton, J. Clark, J.P.A. Taylor, R.J.W. Topley.
Overnight. Somerset 337 and 196 for 9. Surrey 308. Somerset lead by 225 runs with one second innings wicket standing.
Fourth day 24th April – An outstanding game of cricket
It is still relatively early days in this Championship season. Only three rounds of matches have been played in a 14-match competition and some counties have only played two. However, the early-season table has a stark symmetry about it. The top five teams are all based at Test match grounds. The bottom five at non-Test grounds. The Test ground counties have between them won eight matches and lost one. The non-Test ground counties have won one and lost eight. The Test ground counties have 210 points between them. The non-Test ground counties have 105, precisely half. With the future of red-ball domestic cricket about to become the subject of a major review and with talk of moving to a structure where the ‘best play the best’, the current situation will be of concern to supporters of the smaller counties.
Somerset made an effort to begin redressing the balance of this year’s table on the last day of this match but had left themselves a mountain to climb having conceded much ground on the third afternoon. Surrey began the day as clear favourites on a true, if slow, pitch with perfect overhead batting conditions. The strong Surrey batting line-up gave Surrey another advantage. There was much for Somerset’s bowlers to do.
First though, there was the unfinished business of Somerset’s second innings, their ninth wicket having fallen to the final ball of the previous day. “C’mon Surrey,” the shout that greeted the players as they came down the steps at the front of the Bedser Stand. It reflected the optimism in a large Sunday crowd. Josh Davey and Jack Brooks were positive, repeatedly driving the ball, but failed to reach the boundary. They added 11 runs before, with the final drive of the innings, Davey edged Clark straight to Jamie Overton at second slip. Surrey would need 237 to win with most of the day ahead of them and the weather set fair. There was anticipation in the faces of their supporters and in the buzz that floated along the stands.
As Craig Overton prepared to bowl the first ball someone shouted again, “Come on Surrey!” As if in response, Tom Abell shouted, “Come on Craig O! Let’s go!” Rory Burns drove Overton into the off side for a single to the comment, “We’re away.” On the field, the Somerset team constantly shouted encouragement. Peter Siddle began the second over to a shout from Tom Lammonby of, “One early boys.” When Overton began the third over, the shout was, “Looking dangerous here boys,” although from my seat, admittedly square of the wicket, Surrey did not look unduly troubled. When Burns drove Overton through backward point with an open face, Abell shouted again, “Come on Craig O,” and Somerset’s fielders repeatedly clapped encouragement. But Surrey were having the best of the early exchanges and Burns drove Overton square and hard, the ball crossing the boundary immediately below me. “Shot!” cried a Surrey supporter and the stroke deserved the compliment.
Then, Ryan Patel launched into the innings of the morning to rising applause. Siddle was driven through the covers to the Archbishop Tenison School boundary and straight to the Pavilion. Overton was pulled to long leg and lofted over mid-off. A thick edge off Siddle went wide of the slips to the Pavilion, but when those five boundaries were followed by three singles, the scoreboard showed Surrey’s target had been reduced to 200. Thirty-seven runs had come in eight overs with little sign of a wicket. It was a hard watch for a Somerset supporter.
Burns, who had been less positive than Patel, tried to hook Brooks, who had replaced Siddle at the Vauxhall End. He connected only with the top edge, but as so often happens when the opposition are on top in a game, the ball cleared Davies for four. But Brooks was not to be denied. He bowled short to Burns. Burns pulled through the air towards the old Laker and Lock Stands at long leg. Davey, one of the safer deep fielders in county cricket, ran from fine leg and took the catch with, as Davey does, little fuss. Surrey 45 for 1. Burns 17.
With Surrey needing 192, the announcement, “Incoming batsman, Hashim Amla,” was not designed to reduce the anxiety of Somerset supporters. An early glance for four off Brooks did not help either. Meanwhile, Patel was taking the game in his hands. A pull off Brooks was so well struck it gave the deep square leg fielder no chance, similarly an off drive to the Vauxhall End. A shout from the field of, “One here boys. Come on!” sounded of hope rather than anticipation. The Surrey chatter in the stands on the other hand exuded a sense of inevitability.
Brooks continued to suffer as Patel pulled him to the Galadri Stand for four more. Abell’s introduction of Leach to a shout of, “Come on, let’s get to it,” at least put a brake on the scoring. Patel was troubled by Leach, being beaten twice in an over and edging past slip. Ask any cricket supporter and they will tell you a batter struggling has no luck. That all goes to the batter in form. Here, Patel was the beneficiary of that unwritten rule. His edge past slip brought him two runs and loud applause for his fifty. It had come from 60 balls, and he had played so well, I doubt any Somerset supporter would have begrudged him it. An over later, lunch came at 81 for 1, Patel 50, Amla 14, Surrey 156 away from their target, and Somerset’s hopes shrinking fast.
During the interval, I undertook a circumnavigation of the ground, anti-clockwise as always, old superstitions die hard. Somerset might be on the road to defeat but I was not going to contribute to it by walking the wrong way around the ground. And then onto the outfield. coming across a fellow Somerset supporter as I walked through the gate. Our faces asked each other the same question, and answered it in the negative without a word being spoken. The outfield had been divided in half, the Pavilion End for spectators and the Vauxhall End for players. Official players that is. At the Pavilion End, a number of school-age children had been brought to the match. There were impromptu cricket matches and one football match. As I meandered, both my fielding and my passing skills were again called into service as various balls escaped the confines of the games of which they were part. I have to confess that my passing skills remained superior to my fielding skills. Above us, the clouds that had floated across the sky in the morning drifted away and a clear blue sky welcomed the return of the players, tilting the odds even more heavily against Somerset.
Then, a huge wicket. Amla played defensively to Siddle, the ball rose off the bat, and looped behind the wicket to where Steven Davies was waiting for it to drop into his hands. Surrey 85 for 2. Amla 14. Runs required 152. There was a huge cheer for Ollie Pope and applause for Siddle when he took his fielding position beneath the gasometer, the crowd fully engaged. Patel, undeterred by the wicket, drove twice for four through the covers off Overton and Brooks. The second boundary took Surrey to 103 for 2, now 135 short of their target, the loss of Amla fading from the equation. Patel had 68 and was threatening to settle the issue for Surrey.
Now, a brilliant catch in the gully brought Somerset a flash of hope. Pope attempted to cut Brooks, was defeated by some bounce and Abell, diving to his left took a stunning catch. Brooks can be an expensive bowler, but he is also capable of taking of wickets against rampant oppositions. Surrey, Patel at least, had certainly been rampant, and this was Brooks’ second wicket. It left Surrey on 106 for 3, 132 needed with eyes on the Pavilion to see if Ben Foakes would emerge after his crushing collision with Overton on the third day.
“Come on Somerset!” came from somewhere in the crowd with a little more optimism than earlier as Foakes emerged to warm applause. “C’mon!” echoed someone in the field, and Siddle promptly beat Foakes twice in succession to applause. Now, “Come on boys!” from the field. More applause for Siddle at the end of the over. Hope was trying to gain a hold in the Somerset mind. In the middle, both sides pushed. Foakes clipped Siddle through deep midwicket for four but was beaten by the next ball. Patel cut Brooks through backward point. On the boundary, Siddle dived full length and threw the ball in. Two runs. Foakes reached to drive Overton through extra cover. Lammonby dived and took the pace off the ball, just a single. Siddle applauded vigorously. Overton struck Foakes on the pad, appealed, but the ball ran to fine leg for four leg byes. And with every twist and turn, the crowd cheered or gasped.
It was eyeball-to-eyeball cricket, but Surrey were edging forward. They were 121 for 3, more than halfway, 116 needed. “Come on Craig!” someone shouted, more evidence of the Somerset support in the crowd, but four runs came from the over. Davey was tried in place of Brooks, but Patel drove his first ball through the covers to the Galadari Stand. Another ball from Overton drifted onto Foakes’ pads, another four leg byes. Surrey 141 for 3. Runs required 96. How the players feel, I know not, but when a target falls to two figures with wickets in hand it always feels a quantum leap closer. There was still tension in the air, but it felt to this Somerset supporter like the match was slipping away. It never feels quite so clear-cut to supporters of the side closing in on victory. There is always the prospect of sudden disaster for your side in a cricket match and the prospect is more keenly felt in a closely contested match.
It was Sunday afternoon, the sun was out, and it was not a typical Championship crowd. The occupants of the Galadari Stand, at least those near the gasometer, were predominantly twenty and thirty-something couples with young children, all watching the game played in whites, and all enjoying themselves and applauding and cheering Surrey on. London is a young person’s place as anyone who has walked through the City at peak times or along the South Bank will know. It showed here.
Back in the middle, Somerset tried the modern tactic when struggling in the field and persuaded the umpires to change the ball. Foakes responded to the ball change by driving Leach through the covers to the Archbishop Tenison boundary and Patel by driving Siddle through the on side to the gasometer. “One here boys!” shouted Lammonby, but encouragement from the Somerset fielders was noticeably dying down. There was loud and long applause from the crowd for Patel when he turned Leach into the on side for the single which brought him a century from 127 balls. It had been an exceptional innings during which he gave Somerset no respite. Then an on drive from Foakes for four off Leach took Surrey to 166 for 3, 71 short.
“Come on lads!” shouted Lammonby, now the only fielder shouting encouragement as Somerset faces lengthened. Patel opened the face to steer Davey past the slips, edged fine and Davies, falling to his left, took the catch. Patel. Gone! It was as if a cinema film had suddenly stopped as the climax approached. There was a moment’s silent hesitation in the crowd, a Surrey groan and then applause following Patel back to the Pavilion. Most stood. As I applauded, my eyes were looking at the scoreboard, my brain calculating the runs still required. Sixty-four. Six wickets. Surrey merely had to hold their nerve. The new batter, Sam Curran. He and Foakes held their nerve and saw Surrey carefully to tea. There were five overs from Leach and Davey. Nine runs. 53 needed. Foakes now established on 32. Somerset still facing defeat.
That was reflected in the field when the players returned. Somerset were silent. Even Lammonby had nothing to say. Cloud now covered the sky, but the ball was 54 overs old. The crowd around me may not have been a traditional Championship crowd but they were abuzz at the prospect of a Surrey victory. Curran had helped keep Surrey in the game in the first innings with an innings of sustained attack. He began in similar mode here. The second ball after tea was despatched back over Leach’s head and straight into the Pavilion seating. Brooks was pulled twice to the gasometer for four and Leach over long on and into the seats in front of the Bedser Stand. Three overs after tea, Surrey were within 33 runs of victory and Curran had 24.
When Matthew Renshaw replaced Leach with his part-time off spin it seemed an acceptance of defeat. And then, with 17 runs needed Curran attempted to steer Brooks wide of the slips and edged to Davies. Immediately, Overton was on in place Renshaw, Somerset grasping at hope. Jacks, the new batter, drove. Edge! The ball flew above Abell’s head at gully. Abell reached up as if plucking an apple two-handed from a tree and Jacks was walking back to the Pavilion. The buzz of Surrey excitement that had taken over the stands was silenced as Somerset supporters cheered and anxious Surrey faces looked at one another. “Surely not?” the thought they betrayed.
Somerset supporters may have hoped for a moment, the hope driven by the sudden fall of wickets, but a cool look at the scoreboard suppressed the hope. Surrey had four wickets and Foakes was playing an innings of calculated control. A single sustained the tension. Jordan Clark was less circumspect, and drove Brooks through the on side to the Vauxhall End for four. That took Surrey to within 11. The mood began to relax, and when Clark missed an attempted uppercut the Pantomime gasps betrayed the relaxation. “Come on Craig O!” shouted Abell, calling for one final effort from Somerset’s talisman pace bowler. Then, four byes from Brooks removed any remaining doubt about the outcome and brought a few wry chuckles.
With three needed, Clark lofted Brooks over mid-on. A Surrey cheer was suffocated to be replaced by a Somerset one when Davey jumped high and wide to his right and took the catch two-handed. Seven wickets down. Enter Jamie Overton. An off drive brought truncated victory cheers. The ball had been stopped and only a single resulted. But Foakes was in control and finally pulled Brooks through straight midwicket to the boundary immediately opposite the gasometer and brought the crowd to its feet.
It had been an outstanding game of cricket. For two and a half days the two sides had matched each other blow for blow, first one ahead by a whisker, then the other. Then, that burst from the Surrey pace bowlers on the third evening had given them a clear, if not overwhelming, advantage which they never relinquished. Somerset fought tenaciously in the fourth innings and came within three wickets of beating the Championship leaders, although in truth the result was not quite that close. Surrey always had enough in hand on the final day. And at the end of that day, Surrey remained at the top of the Championship, Somerset bottom and the Test ground counties remained in control of the table.
Result. Somerset 337 (T.B. Abell 150*, J.C. Hildreth 54, M.T. Renshaw 48, R.J.W. Topley 3-62, J. Clark 3-66) and 207 (T.B. Abell 53, T. Banton 52, J. Clark 4-52, R.J.W. Topley 3-55). Surrey 308 (S.M. Curran 80, B.T. Foakes 63, O.J.D. Pope 47, P.M. Siddle 6-51) and 239 for 7 (R.S. Patel 102, B.T. Foakes 48*, J.A. Brooks 4-73). Surrey won by three wickets. Surrey 21 points. Somerset 6 points.
Elsewhere in Division 1
Canterbury. Kent 305 (D.J. Bell-Drummond 149, K.H.D. Barker 6-53) and 296 (K.J. Abbott 5-29). Hampshire 652 for 6 dec (L.A. Dawson 171, B.C. Brown 157, J.M. Vince 111). Hampshire won by an innings and 51 runs. Hampshire 24 points. Kent 4 points.
Edgbaston. Essex 168 and 323. Warwickshire 385 (M.G.K. Burgess 170) and 110 for 0. Warwickshire won by ten wickets. Warwickshire 22 points. Essex 2 points.
Northampton. Yorkshire 296 (G. K. Berg 5-58) and 406 for 3 dec (G.C.H. Hill 151*). Northamptonshire 204 and 318 for 7. Match Drawn. Yorkshire 13 points. Northamptonshire 12 points.
Old Trafford. Gloucestershire 252 (Hasan Ali 6-47) and 247. Lancashire 556 for 7 dec (J.J. Bohannon 231, D.J. Vilas 109). Lancashire won by an innings and 57 runs. Lancashire 22 points. Gloucestershire 3 points.
Division 1 Table
Pl W L D Pts
1. 3 2 0 1 56 Surrey
2. 3 2 0 1 48 Hampshire
3. 2 2 0 0 46 Lancashire
4. 2 1 0 1 35 Warwickshire
4. 2 1 0 1 35 Yorkshire
6. 3 1 1 1 33 Essex
7. 2 0 0 2 25 Northamptonshire
8. 3 0 2 1 19 Kent
9. 3 0 2 1 18 Gloucestershire
10. 3 0 3 0 10 Somerset
'Farmer White' Somerset Cricket Writing 