Surrey Win Second XI Championship

18 September 2009

Surrey have won the Second XI Championship after securing a winning draw against Lancashire at Old Trafford, with Tom Smith taking 5/90 and off spinner Simon King claiming the final wicket.

Lancashire had battled hard all day, with Steven Mullaney, Adrian Shankar and Chris Tipper playing vital roles but Surrey’s luck changed going into the final session and when Nick Caunce lobbed a delivery from Simon King to Jimmy Anyon at mid off the celebrations could begin.

After battling for two sessions with only one wicket to show for their efforts, some superb bowling by the slow left arm Tom Smith did the damage to Lancashire in the final session.

Deliveries that previously evaded the bat began to strike the pad or take a nick and when Adam Shankar was caught behind by Rory Burns for 79, Surrey sensed an opportunity and pounced.

Chris Tipper was trapped LBW by Smith for 45 and although Stephen Parry stuck around, the dismissals of first Oliver Newby – caught by Chris Jordan in the slips – and then Simon Kerrigan, trapped LBW for 1 saw Surrey back on the front foot and energised in the field.

When King finally got rid off the aggressive Caunce, the winning draw had been secured and victory was duly celebrated.

Session Two

Richard Stevens made the breakthrough for Surrey in the second session of the final day of the Second XI Championship but they still another five wickets for victory with Lancashire needing another 106 runs.

Chris Jordan and Jimmy Anyon started the session bowling well in tandem but once again being unable to force a wicket. Jordan in particular was looking dangerous with his increased pace causing a number of anxious moments for Steven Mullaney when the ball popped up from an attempted defensive shot but dropped tantalisingly short of the onrushing Jordan on both occasions.

However, one over after surviving against Jordan, Mullaney was clean bowled by Stevens for 77, who took a wicket in the first over of a spell for the second time in the innings. He got a delivery to keep low and take out the off stump, which cartwheeled back impressively over the shoulder of wicket keeper Rory Burns.

Mullaney was replaced at the crease by Chris Tipper and after he survived two near play and misses off the continuation of Stevens’ over, Lancashire were able to proceed to tea without huge alarm, reaching the break on 395/5.

It is a simple equation for the final session of the day, Surrey need five wickets to force a winning draw in their favour, Lancashire need 106 runs to force one in theirs. If Lancashire fail to score the runs and Surrey are not able to take the wickets then the Second XI Championship will be shared.

Session One

Steven Mullaney and Adrian Shankar batted excellently throughout the first session on the final day of the Second XI Championship final at Old Trafford as Lancashire aim to chase down Surrey’s first innings total of 500.

The two not out men overnight batted throughout the session, scoring at a reasonable rate to take the hosts from their overnight 214/4 to a lunchtime total of 306/4, needing just another 195 runs in the final two sessions to wrap up victory.

Surrey toiled with the ball all morning, Chris Jordan and Tom Smith opening up the session with a mixture of pace and spin but were unable to make the breakthrough despite of big appeals against both batsmen.

Jordan was replaced by Jimmy Anyon who thought he had Steven Mullaney twice in two balls, first an LBW that was turned down and then a strangled catch down the leg side, taken excellently by Rory Burns but deemed not to have hit bat or glove by the umpire.

Smith bowled unchanged for large parts of the morning, putting the ball in the right areas but without getting any luck or a great deal of help from the pitch.

At the end of Anyon’s spell, Simon King was introduced for the first time this morning but was also unable to make the breakthrough. It was from his bowling that Mullaney brought up the half century, cover driving the off spinner for four.

Just before lunch Jonathan Batty opted to take the new ball immediately, but an over each from the returning Jordan and Anyon did not see a wicket and Lancashire walked into lunch on 306/4, clearly taking the session and keen to press on this afternoon.

Come back to the official website later for reports on the second and third sessions of the day as Surrey chase the Second XI Championship.