MATCH REPORT: Late wickets give Lancs edge at the Oval on day one
County champions and Division One leaders Surrey are a nervy 70 for four in reply to Lancashire’s 274 after an intriguing opening day at the Kia Oval.
Rory Burns, Dom Sibley and Tom Latham all fell to the new ball after Lancashire had earlier recovered from 119 for five as Phil Salt, George Balderson and Jack Blatherwick fashioned a lower order rally on a seaming pitch.
And then Ben Foakes played on for 23 against Blatherwick in the day’s final over, after putting on 43 with Jamie Smith, who remained 24 not out but was dropped at first slip off Blatherwick’s medium pace on 23.
Four wickets apiece for Jordan Clark and Sean Abbott looked to have won first day honours for Surrey but Will Williams and Tom Bailey turned this LV= Insurance County Championship contest back towards Lancashire in the final 20 overs of the day.
Burns, on 5, edged Williams for keeper Salt to take a brilliant low one-handed catch diving to his left and Sibley departed for an 18-ball duck when he tickled an attempted leg glance at Williams through to Salt. Latham edged Bailey to second slip to go for 10.
Clark polished off Lancashire’s tail to finish with 4 for 47 but it was Abbott’s previous experience of bowling with the Kookaburra ball, in Australian domestic cricket, that was much in evidence as Lancashire’s top order earlier struggled to impose themselves against Surrey’s five-pronged seam attack.
Salt scored 56 from No 6, backing up the hundred he made against Hampshire two weeks ago at Southport in his first red-ball appearance for 12 months, but he also played and missed on numerous occasions as Lancashire’s batting line-up found run-making hard work.
And it was Abbott, taking three wickets either side of lunch, and then sending back Salt with the third ball after tea, who removed four of Lancashire’s top six to earn himself figures of 4 for 71. The Kookaburra ball is being used instead of Dukes in this round of championship matches, and the next one in early July, to give English county bowlers an opportunity to bowl with it in competitive games.
There was pace and carry from a well-grassed surface and Surrey’s decision to bowl first, on winning the toss, was soon vindicated as Luke Wells – playing back defensively – edged to first slip in Sam Curran’s third over with the new ball.
Curran, playing in his first championship game of the season and a contender for an Ashes Test call-up in the next month, was unlucky not to have more success in three spells before mid-afternoon, but Abbott was soon among the wickets when he replaced Dan Worrall at the Vauxhall End.
The 31-year-old from New South Wales, who has played 20 times in white-ball internationals for Australia, initially struck with his very first ball to trap Josh Bohannon leg-before for 10.
Then, in his fourth over, he ended Keaton Jennings’ determined 25 by winning another lbw decision despite the Lancashire opener looking less than enamoured with the verdict.
Daryl Mitchell and Dane Vilas, the fourth wicket pair, counter-attacked with Mitchell thumping Abbott away through mid off for four and Vilas, after almost playing on against Clark, then hooking him for six later in the same over.
Both players had moments of good fortune against the moving ball but Mitchell drove Curran high over mid off for six and it was not until after lunch that Surrey got back on top by removing Vilas for 39 and Mitchell for 27 in successive overs to leave Lancashire 119 for five.
Vilas, driving at Abbott, edged to second slip after the partnership had realised 73 in 14 overs and New Zealand Test batsman Mitchell was yorked off stump by a beauty from Tom Lawes, who impressed in a spell of 7-2-13-1 either side of the interval.
Salt, however, was then joined by Balderson in a sixth wicket stand of 82 in 18 overs that frustrated Surrey. Neither player ever looked set but they both fought hard and stayed positive until Balderson’s 34 was ended by an edge through to keeper Foakes.
Bailey (10) then mishit Clark to mid on and Salt’s dismissal, caught by a tumbling Foakes after edging a drive at Abbott, left Lancashire 238 for eight.
That they got to 274 was mainly due to Blatherwick’s aggression, especially against Will Jacks – whose three overs of off spin cost 25 – and he had reached 35, with a six and five fours, before Clark returned to have him caught at point.
Clark then softened up last man Jack Morley with a couple of well-directed chin-high bumpers from around the wicket, prior to having him caught by Foakes for two.
Pictures from Luke and Dan Adams.