Surrey Facing Defeat in Derby

24 April 2009

Derbyshire require just 73 more runs to win on the final day at the County Ground as Surrey set 218 for the home side to win. Surrey tried hard to post 360 in their second innings, but an unrewarding time with the ball saw Derbyshire reaching 145 for two at stumps.

Earlier in the day Surrey resumed on 213 for three and night-watchman Jade Dernbach would only add one to his overnight score before he departed for 6. Usman Afzaal was playing very sensibly and continued in his form of his last few innings. The Surrey batsman were trying hard to stay at the crease and eek out as big as lead as possible. Jonathan Batty and Usman put on 38 for the fifth wicket and were looking comfortable. Usman went to fifty as he played some exquisite drives off the front foot and worked the ball around well. Boundaries were hard to come by and the batsman really had to fight as the outfield was slow and the pitch getting even slower. Usman looked set, but on the first ball of a new Jonathan Clare spell he completely miss-timed a shot against a slower ball and tamely lobbed the ball back to the bowler to go for 59, Surrey 255 for 5.

Batty had battled away, but he was dismissed for 9 as he was victim to a stunning catch by James Pipe behind the stumps. An inside edge off Ian Hunter saw Pipe dive to his left and the ball just stuck in his glove, Surrey 259 for 6. Chris Jordan was next to go as he left a straight ball from Graham Wagg and was bowled for 3, before Chris Schofield and James Benning got stuck in. The Surrey innings was quickly petering out, but the pair got focused and were very watchful. Benning struck 5 fours on his way to 36, helping Surrey past 300 and creating a firmer hold in the match. Lunch was approaching and then Benning played a loose pull shot and was caught at mid-on, leaving Surrey 314 for eight. It was left to Schofield to marshal the lower order and try to give Surrey something substantial to bowl with. Andre Nel hit a few fours on his way to 15 before Garry Park came back into the attack and finished off the innings. The short medium pacer bowled full with enough movement in the air to remove Nel and would also bowl Pedro Collins for 8 as Schofield would finish unbeaten on 31 and Surrey posting 360.

Derbyshire would have 218 to chase in their second innings and would start well as Park and Steve Stubbings took their time. Dernbach and Collins were not finding much swing with the new ball and did not trouble the opening pair. Nel came into the attack and had to bowl from a short run due a hamstring strain picked up earlier in the match. He lost some of his edge, but he would focus on bowling good line and length and he made the batsmen play every ball. Park and Stubbings played very sensibly and Surrey had to work really hard as the pitch was offering nothing to help and the luck was not going their way. Park would be put down in the slips off the bowling of Jordan by a diving Michael Brown and would go to fifty. Collins came back into the attack though and made the breakthrough as he trapped Park, playing on the back foot, in front of his stumps for 50, the home side 89 for 1.

Nel came back and should be praised for his efforts as he was clearly not moving freely. He kept bustling in and got his rewards with the wicket Stuart Law for the second time in the match, Schofield making it look easy at first slip and Law going for seven. That would be Surrey’s last wicket of the day as Daniel Redfern and Stubbings would bat out the day to put Derbyshire in a match-winning position, with Stubbings on 66 and Redfern on 11.