Pitch conditions help Kent to press home advantage
Published 31 May 2007
A controlled second wicket partnership between Joe Denly and Martin van Jaarsveld put Surrey in a difficult position at the end of the second day of the LV County Championship match at Whitgift.
Jonathan Batty and Mark Ramprakash restarted play for Surrey after having lost almost all of the first day’s play to rain. The affect that yesterday’s downpour had on the pitch soon became evident as Andrew Hall and Yasir Arafat moved the ball both through the air and off the seam.
Batty and Surrey’s captain Mark Butcher went in consecutive overs from Hall leaving the home side in trouble on 62 for three. Ramprakash, who had struck the ball nicely for 35 was the next to go and when he was followed by Rikki Clarke and Ali Brown in the space of 10 runs, Surrey were in real trouble on 86 for six.
Matters went from bad to worse as the damp conditions played into the Kent bowlers hands leaving Surrey 118 for eight. It was thanks to a gritty innings from Matthew Nicholson, who found some support from first Nayan Doshi and then Mohammad Akram that Surrey managed to get past 150. The overseas fast bowler was finally left unbeaten on 48 when Akram was caught behind off Hall, with Surrey all out for 166.
As Kent started their innings the sun started to shine on the pitch and evaporate any moisture left from the previous day’s rain. Surrey picked up the early wicket of Rob Key, caught behind off Nicholson for six, however this was to be the only joy. Denly and van Jaarsveld played nicely to get themselves in and soon became confident in striking the ball off the front foot.
The pair both past fifty and in doing so took their side up to the tea break, trailing Surrey by only 40 runs. The partnership continued until Clarke returned to have Denly bowled for 85. Nevertheless after getting the breakthrough Surrey's all rounder had to retire from the field with spasms in his left hamstring.
Soon after van Jaarsveld went past three figures, Surrey picked up their third wicket, with Batty swiftly stumping James Treadwell for 17 off Doshi. With only a few overs remaining in the day, Kent’s centurion pressed home the advantage, finding good support from Darren Stevens as they went to the close leading the hosts by 103 on 269 for three.
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