My 21st day of cricket watching this season sees me rocking up at the Kia Oval for Surrey v Worcestershire Day 1 – worry not, I’ll see other teams soon!
Worcester tend to be regarded as a poor side – promoted this season – but Second Fividion regulars. They have not won at the Oval for 20 years! They’ve lost a lot of key players – bowlers in the main – to other counties in the close season. So the squad this year is lacking a few key players.
Worcester won the toss and insert on one of the greenest of green tops I’ve seen lately (excluding the greenery at Taunton that is!). And what a wise decision it looks like since after 30 minutes Surrey are 15/4 (having been 9/3).
The pitch is doing things with the right bowler and I suspect more patience than ever is needed. Surrey seemed in a hurry and not helped by Pope’s renowned frantic starts and Lawrence’s all out bazball approach!
Pope starts at a scoring rate close to 75, Lawrence never really drops much below 85
Worcester’s first and second change bowlers are not quite up to the job before lunch and offer too many drivable balls and the occasional one which does things but it does mean some exquisite cover drives especially from Pope – worth the gate money alone!
Lunch arrives at 110/4. Lawrence 57, Pope 39. Better than it looked but…can it last?
From 163/4 the last six wickets add 50 giving Surrey an all out score of 213 on the stroke of normal tea time! Pope went for 63, Lawrence 84 leaving Jordan 42no. Worcester’s second string bowlers doing a lot better in the afternoon session as they nibbled away throughout.
The light roller at tea (electric powered and with aerodynamic spoiler!) will do little to improve things – this pitch needs days of constant sunshine!
So Surrey will need to bowl well, Worcester bat with patience otherwise this is a two or three day match at best!
And at stumps, I think it could be over sometime on Sunday! After tea, the clouds rolled in, lights on and a Stygian gloom descended. And in the Worcester camp too!
Wickets fell at regular intervals – 53/5 at one stage / before a sort of recovery to end at 112/7. In these conditions the Surrey attack is almost unplayable; one after another nibbling away, supporting each other with excellent fielding and the occasional ball keeping low or passing well over head height!
Seventeen wickets in one day, similar weather forecast for tomorrow. Surrey will want a first innings lead and set up a good chase on Day 3…perhaps reaching Day 4? Who knows?
A day when photos probably speak louder than many words…so here are a few to whet the appetite!
Cricket51days 