Results:

The ban on the use of heavy rollers just before and during matches worked wonders at the Oval yesterday. Eleven wickets fell for less than 300 runs – 285 to be precise. After the batting practice wickets prepared last year at the Oval, the current pitch is welcome indeed. Bowlers could expect reward for effort rather than toil with little hope of wickets without errors that the pitch had offered last season. A result is a distinct possibility – inevitable even after the eventful morning session today that saw Surrey lose eight wickets for 85 runs before the last wicket partnership put on a welcome 37 more runs.

Fresh from their confidence-boosting victory over Middlesex, Gloucestershire captain Alex Gidman chose to bat against Surrey. Surrey’s attack was led by Chris Tremlett, playing his first four-day match for his new employers. He ripped through the soft under-belly of Gloucestershire’s batting, bowling eighteen overs in five spells, taking four wickets for just 35 runs.

Bad to Worse:

There was no triumphant return for Jonathan Batty to his old stomping ground. The opener failed to last a single over. Two edges went for four, but Iftikhar Anjum had the last laugh, as wicketkeeper Steve Davies took the catch from a loose shot on the leg-side. 8 for 1 quickly became 9 for 2 as Tremlett dispatched Hamish Marshall for a single thanks to Surrey captain Rory Hamilton-Brown’s safe hands. Gidman didn’t last long either, caught by former skipper Usman Afzaal for a single – the second of Tremlet’s victims.

At 15 for 3 Gloucestershire was in desparate need of a partnership. 48 runs for the fourth wicket will break no records, but represented a recovery of sorts. Chris Dent had watched from the other end as wickets tumbled. He moved on to 32 with five boundaries before falling leg before wicket to Gareth Batty – a decision that clearly surprised the batsman. James Franklin was more circumspect. Chris Taylor departed for 13, lbw to Tremlett. Five wickets had fallen for under a hundred runs.

Having limped past their century they lost their sixth wicket at 102. Franklin was dismissed for 35, lbw to Anjum. Gloucestershire’s top order contributed little of note and Jon Lewis was soon caught close in by Arun Harinath for 17 – the first victim of spinner, Chris Schofield. At 127 for 7 Gloucestershire was facing humiliation, but the tail fought back.

Steven Snell top-scored, despite coming in at number seven, finding willing support from Vikram Banerjee. Snell was eventually dismissed for 48, caught by Davies, bowled Stuart Meaker. He had seven boundaries to his name. The partnership was worth 52 – the best of the innings, but Gemaal Hussain didn’t stick around long. He was out for 5, lbw to Tremlett – the last of the debutant’s four wickets.

Banerjee was joined at the wicket by Steve Kirby. They put on 42 runs for the last wicket. Kirby’s share was an unbeaten 20 with two fours and a six. It was ended by Schofield trapping Banerjee lbw for 35 after his 139 ball vigil that included five fours – not bad for a number 9.

Tremlett was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 35 on debut, while Anjum and Schofield provided support with 2 for 53 from 14 overs and 2 for 38 from 10 respectively. Gloucester’s tail had wagged, but 229 all out never looked sufficient on an Oval pitch that offered the bowlers some encouragement – a welcome sight after the batting practice wickets of last season. Surrey however would find a way to make that total seem impressive.

Early Response:

Having dismissed Gloucestershire for a comparatively low total, despite the fightback from the tailenders, Gareth Batty opened the batting with Arun Harinath. They saw off new ball attack of Franklin and Jon Lewis. Kirby had no joy either. Surrey passed fifty without loss before Hussain took his twenty-fifth wicket in the fifth match of his fledgling career, following on from his five-wicket haul at Lord’s.

Batty fell for 31, yorked by Hussain in the penultimate over of the day, with the score on 52, but not before he had hit six boundaries. Tremlett was sent in as nightwatchman rather than risk their best batsman – the most prolific century-maker still playing, Mark Ramprakash. He survived with a single to his name. Meanwhile, Arun Harinath was unbeaten on 19 with three fours. Surrey were 56 for 1 at stumps – fourteen overs into their innings. It had been a satisfactory day for Surrey, but they would contrive to throw it away in an awful morning session.

Disastrous Morning:

Surrey have no wins from three matches – a draw and two losses. It wasn’t hard to see why during the morning session on the second day. An abject display of batting saw the once great county that had seen the great Percy Fender hit a century in just over half an hour many years ago, add 85 runs in 25.4 overs. That wasn’t the problem. It cost them eight wickets, beginning with the rapid dismissal of Tremlett, who was soon caught cold by Hussain, bowled by a delivery that he played around on the overnight total of 56.

That brought Ramprakash to the wicket. He is the latest and possibly last batsman to reach the 100 hundreds mark. Ramprakash has 111 centuries in top flight cricket, but only two of them were made in Test matches. His first class average is comfortably above fifty and is almost double his Test average. He will turn 41 this season, but today was not his day as he was beaten by a superb ball. Lewis uprooted Ramprakash’s middle stump – a rare sight – after beating his defensive shot. He made just 12. 99 for 3.

Meanwhile Arun Harinath made the most of the chance given to him by Snell at second slip on 30 to notch his sixth first class fifty. It took 79 balls and included eight fours. He failed to better his top score of 69, as a lapse in concentration resulted in him throwing his wicket away, caught behind by Batty slashing at a James Franklin delivery for 51. 109 for 4.

The embattled captain, Rory Hamilton-Brown, recently criticised by Ramprakash, did himself no favours leaving Steve Kirby’s delivery to be bowled for 0. 116 for 5 soon became 125 for 6 as Usman Afzaal followed his captain for 19. He lasted 34 balls and hit three boundaries, but Kirby bowled him to expose Surrey’s tail. Chris Schofield failed to make an impression with the bat. He was caught behind slashing at a delivery from Lewis for 6, although he looked aggrieved at the decision.

132 for 7 meant that Surrey had lost 5 for 33 in a spell of less than eighty balls. While batting may be more difficult than last year, at least some batsmen were the architects of their own misfortune, but the tailenders aren’t in the team for their batting. Stuart Meaker quickly departed for 2 caught by Batty. Lewis had taken his third and last wicket, leaving Surrey reeling at 136 for 8.

It soon got worse. Iftikhar Anjum joined Steve Davies who had calmly watched the procession of wickets tumble. Anjum was run out for 4 from the penultimate ball of the fortieth over. A good throw by Franklin beat Anjum who was trying to ensure that Davies had the strike in the next over. Instead lunch was taken at 141 for 9 after a terrible display of batting by Surrey.

Davies and number 11 batsman Jade Dernbach threw caution to the wind after the break. Davies struck two glorious sixes and Dernbach put some senior colleagues to shame, scoring 16, which included three fours. Kirby ended his resistance, bowling him to pick up his third wicket for 42. Lewis contributed 3 for 46 and Hussain added to his growing reputation with 2 for 53. With half the match over in just over four sessions, Gloucestershire lead by 51 runs. A result should be inevitable, possibly in three days – weather permitting.