Ball Dominates Bat at Derby

22 April 2009

Seventeen wickets fell on the first day at Derby as Surrey and Derbyshire went head to head. Graham Wagg took 6 for 35 for the home side to bowled Surrey out for 131, but a fight back in the evening session saw Pedro Collins take 4 wickets and leave Derbyshire 152 for 7 overnight.

Michael Brown won the toss and elected to bat under glorious sunshine at Derby, but the conditions were much in the favour of the bowlers. From the first ball Graham Wagg found considerable swing and Ian Hunter found good movement off the pitch. It was the movement off the pitch that did for Brown as he edged a short ball from Wagg to Steve Stubbings at third slip, Surrey five for one. Wagg was moving the ball both ways in the air and it was a wide away-swinging ball that Laurie Evans played at and edged to Stuart Law at second slip for 6.

Wagg was causing the batsman all kinds of problems and it was Usman Afzaal who was next to go as he got bowled through the gate for 6, as this time Wagg moved the ball off the pitch. Scott Newman was opening in his first match of the season and had reached 12 in 43 minutes before he became Wagg’s fourth victim. Newman got squared up and edged to third slip leaving Surrey 32 for 4. Despite the ball movement the Surrey batsmen were not helping themselves and playing some false shots. James Benning was the next to go and he played a very loose drive to Greg Smith and was caught at point for five. It would then be 62 for 6 at lunch after Chris Jordan became Wagg’s fifth wicket, playing across the line and being LBW.

Jonathan Batty and Chris Schofield played with more focus and discipline and took Surrey to 100 as they battled away. Batty was especially looking comfortable, leaving well, and would work hard for his 36 runs. Schofield had to briefly leave the field after being hit in his box, bringing Andre Nel to the crease. Batty was the next to go though, as Wagg returned and trapped him LBW for 36, Surrey 124 for seven. Schofield would return, but didn’t last long as Jonathan Clare had him trapped in front for 10. For Derbyshire, Smith and Wagg were both still finding swing and it was Smith who would pick up both Nel and Pedro Collins, as they both still found large amounts of swing with the aging ball. Surrey all out for 131 as an early tea was taken and the decision to bat first was looking like a mistake.

However, by the close of play the score of 131 would not look all that bad, as Surrey dominated with the ball as well. The pairing of Nel and Jade Dernbach, would not find as much swing as the slower Derbyshire bowlers, but they did pick up a wicket a piece in their opening spell, Dernbach having Garry Park caught well by Jordan at second slip for 4. Nel then bowling an unplayable delivery to remove the prolific Law and have him caught behind for a duck.

For Surrey the ball was not swinging as much in the evening session, but Collins would come into the attack and take the spoils. Collins’ natural swing picked up four wickets, including a three wicket flurry in the space of 12 balls as the day would end fairly evenly matched. Dan Redfern had looked composed and had played nicely for 28, before Collins made his impact in the 26th over. Firstly, drawing a loose drive from Redfern, then trapping James Pipe in front for 6, and following that up by bowling Clare for a duck.

Surrey had bowled with the discipline they needed to make use of the conditions and restricted Derbyshire to 152 for 7 at the close, but had let it slip in the last few overs as Smith and Wagg put on and unbroken 64 for the eighth wicket.