County Championship 2024. Division 1. Surrey v Somerset. 12^th, 13^th, 14^th and 15^th April. The Oval.

Jack Leach, (knee injury) and Tom Abell (hamstring) were unavailable.

Surrey. R.J. Burns (c), D.P. Sibley, O.J.D. Pope, D.W. Lawrence, J.L. Smith, B.T. Foakes (w), C.T. Steel, J. Clark, J. Overton, A.A.P. Atkinson, K.A.J Roach.

Somerset, M.T. Renshaw, S.R. Dickson, T.A. Lammonby, L.P. Goldsworthy, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), L. Gregory (c), C. Overton, K.L. Aldridge, M. Pretorius, S. Bashir.

Toss. Surrey. Elected to field.

First day 12^th April – “It’ll be over in three days”

Surrey had been County Champions in 2022 and 2023 and were favourites to win the title again in 2024. They had greatly increased their membership in the years leading up to 2024 and have a huge population catchment area. Those three things, plus the fact that they have always been a well-supported club may have been factors in the size of the crowd on the first day. I first became aware of the potential size of the crowd as my Tube train pulled into Oval station. Virtually everyone on the train stood up. Then, an endless stream of people trailed up the road towards the Hobbs Gates. Once there, they formed a continuous crush waiting for tickets or membership cards to be scanned. I remember, not so long ago, paying cash to go through a turnstile at The Oval. Now, my digital ticket was scanned on my smartphone in an instant and still the crush continued. Four years ago, I didn’t have a smartphone. The world moves on and, eventually, I catch up with it.

County Championship 2023. Division 1. Somerset v Surrey. 25^th, 26^th and 27^th July. Taunton.

Jack Leach, (back), Roelof van der Merwe (hand), Josh Davey 9rib) and Sonny Baker (back) were all unavailable.

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, S.R. Dickson, T.B. Abell (c), G.A. Bartlett, T. Kohler-Cadmore, J.E.K. Rew (w), K.L. Aldridge, B.G.F. Green, C. Overton, M.J. Henry, S. Bashir.

Surrey. R.J. Burns (c), D.P. Sibley, T.W.M. Latham, J.L. Smith, B.T. Foakes (w), W.G. Jacks, J. Clark, J. Overton, T. E. Lawes, A.A.P. Atkinson, D.J. Worral.

Toss. Somerset. Elected to bat.

First day 25^th July – A sorry tale

I arrived at the Brian Rose Gates a quarter of an hour before the start and joined an ever-lengthening queue. Out to the road by The Brewhouse when I arrived. Along the road some way by the time my bag had been searched and I was in the ground. It is the first day of the school summer holidays and Surrey are the visitors. The weather was nicely inviting too after a poor forecast. High tufts of cotton wool cloud drifted across the sky accompanied by large patches of azure blue. The sun was warm, the breeze cool. In short: perfect cricket weather. There did not appear to be a significant number of spectators in the ground, but by midday it was clear this was the largest County Championship crowd since before the pandemic. A County Championship match in the school holidays against Surrey, with whom Somerset have had some memorable recent tussles, is still a major draw.

County Championship 2022. Division 1. Surrey v Somerset. 21^st, 22^nd, 23^rd and 24^th 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 24^th 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.

County Championship 2022. Division 1. Surrey v Somerset. 21^st, 22^nd, 23^rd and 24^th 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. Surrey 204 for 5. Surrey trail by 133 runs with five first innings wickets standing.

Third day 23rd April – “Why are they all wearing white?”

“Why are they all wearing white?” It was a curious question to overhear at a Championship match as I sat square of the wicket with the gasometer over my right shoulder. A father was being quizzed by his young son about what was happening in front of them. It transpired it was the son’s first cricket match. He was curious because in his digital cricket game the players wore coloured clothing. The modern route into cricket perhaps. No longer the first sight coming on a visit to a county ground after school, or on a television broadcast, but in a game on a tablet, a smartphone, a laptop or relayed from any of those to a television screen. The world really is moving on. At the other extreme, as I walked behind the Galadari Stand before the start of play, a longstanding Somerset supporter without internet access asked, “Did we drop any catches yesterday?” Cue an explanation of Tom Banton’s two experiences with the flying ball.

County Championship 2022. Division 1. Surrey v Somerset. 21^st, 22^nd, 23^rd and 24^th 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 283 for 6.

Second day 22nd April – On a knife-edge

When Ollie Pope hooked Craig Overton high towards deep square leg it seemed that it was merely a continuation of the burgeoning Foakes-Pope partnership which had already added 80 runs to Surrey’s shaky 48 for 3 start in response to Somerset’s first innings 337. Tom Banton was running flat out along the boundary from deep midwicket towards the gasometer, but it looked like a hopelessly forlorn attempt to stop a boundary. Then, he took off, dived full length towards the falling ball, stretched out his hand and, unbelievably it seemed from my seat beyond the Vauxhall End sight screen, caught it one-handed, inches above the grass. Video replays do not do the catch justice. It looked far more spectacular in the flesh and, frankly, uncatchable.

County Championship 2022. Division 1. Somerset v Surrey. 12^th, 13^th, 14^th and 15^th June. Taunton.

Sonny Baker was unavailable for selection by Somerset due to his continuing back injury while Jack Leach was on Test duty with England and Matt Renshaw on international duty with Australia.

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, B.F.G. Green, T.B. Abell (c), T. Banton, L.P. Goldsworthy, S.M. Davies (w), L. Gregory, R.E. van der Merwe, C. Overton/M. de Lange*, J.H. Davey/K.L. Aldridge*, P.M. Siddle.

*J.H. Davey was replaced by K.L. Aldridge on the first day and C. Overton by M. de Lange on the second under the ECB Concussion Protocol

Surrey. R.J. Burns (c), R.S. Patel, H.M. Amla, B.B.A. Geddes, J.L. Smith (w), W.G. Jacks, C.T. Steel, J. Clark, J. Overton, A.A.P. Atkinson, D.J. Worrall.

Overnight. Somerset 180. Surry 382 for 8. Surrey lead by 202 runs with two second innings wickets standing.

Third day 14^th June – “Come on Somerset!”

At the end of the second day few I spoke to expected this match to reach the end of the third. But the match is still in progress, even if Surrey are expected to win early in the afternoon of the final day. That is some measure of Somerset’s improving performance with the bat in their second innings, although there were still areas where they, as school reports used to say, “Could do better.” I, at least, had done better than my second day performance, arriving at the Brian Rose Gates four rather than 20 minutes late. “You have missed two wickets,” said the man leaving the ground as I approached. “What?” my bemused response. “Well,” he said, “Surrey are all out and the players have left the field.” And so they had, and not a run added to Surrey’s overnight total. In the first over of the day, Lewis Gregory had dismissed Gus Atkinson and Dan Worrall, both caught behind. Shades of Trent Bridge 2018 when I arrived late and missed a hat trick by Craig Overton. I really must learn.

County Championship 2022. Division 1. Somerset v Surrey. 12^th, 13^th, 14^th and 15^th June. Taunton.

Sonny Baker was unavailable for selection by Somerset due to his continuing back injury while Jack Leach was on Test duty with England and Matt Renshaw on international duty with Australia.

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, B.F.G. Green, T.B. Abell (c), T. Banton, L.P. Goldsworthy, S.M. Davies (w), L. Gregory, R.E. van der Merwe, C. Overton/M. de Lange, J.H. Davey/K.L. Aldridge*, P.M. Siddle.

*J.H. Davey was replaced by K.L. Aldridge on the first day and C. Overton by M. de Lange on the second under the ECB Concussion Protocol

Surrey. R.J. Burns (c), R.S. Patel, H.M. Amla, B.B.A. Geddes, J.L. Smith (w), W.G. Jacks, C.T. Steel, J. Clark, J. Overton, A.A.P. Atkinson, D.J. Worrall.

Overnight. Somerset 180. Surry 56 for 1. Surrey trail by 124 runs with nine second innings wickets standing.

Second day 13^th June – Surrey take a grip

Waiting in for a parcel that requires a signature is one of the less endearing aspects of modern life. One of the more endearing is the message you receive telling you, within an hour or so, when it will arrive. Who would have imagined that when I watched my first Championship match at Taunton in 1958? The world has changed. The cricket world too. The first day of Championship cricket in 1958 took place on 7^th May. Somerset played Glamorgan at Cardiff Arms Park. The match was drawn, and Colin McCool made 130.

County Championship 2022. Division 1. Somerset v Surrey. 12^th, 13^th, 14^th and 15^th June. Taunton.

Sonny Baker was unavailable for selection by Somerset due to his continuing back injury while Jack Leach was on Test duty with England and Matt Renshaw on international duty with Australia.

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, B.F.G. Green, T.B. Abell (c), T. Banton, L.P. Goldsworthy, S.M. Davies (w), L. Gregory, R.E. van der Merwe, C. Overton/M. de Lange, J.H. Davey/K.L. Aldridge*, P.M. Siddle.

*J.H. Davey was replaced by K.L. Aldridge on the first day and C. Overton by M. de Lange on the second under the ECB Concussion Protocol

Surrey. R.J. Burns (c), R.S. Patel, H.M. Amla, B.B.A. Geddes, J.L. Smith (w), W.G. Jacks, C.T. Steel, J. Clark, J. Overton, A.A.P. Atkinson, D.J. Worrall.

Toss. Somerset. Elected to bat.

First day 12^th June – The return of Jamie Overton

If anyone needed a reminder of what Somerset might have missed when Jamie Overton left for Surrey two seasons ago, they received one if they were at the Cooper Associates County Ground on the first day of this match, and many were. Perhaps not as many as might have been present on a good pre-pandemic day, but not far short, and for a post-pandemic crowd it suggested the old cricket-watching habits are returning. In a piece of controlled, precise, destructive fast bowling Overton ripped the heart out of Somerset’s middle and lower order. Three wickets, two opposing pace bowlers forced to retire hurt, if only temporarily in the case of brother Craig, and pace rarely seen in the modern County Championship, the sum of his contribution. He was not alone in breaking the back of the Somerset batting. With less pace but similar accuracy, Dan Worrall and Gus Atkinson formed the perfect backdrop against which Overton struck, each taking three wickets of their own. Somerset, largely courtesy of three of their own pace bowlers, two hobbled by Jamie Overton en route, scrabbled their way to 180 on a pitch which, with Surrey 56 for 1 at the close, looked to have had significantly more runs than that to offer.