Surrey V Sussex Match Thread

[MuchHappierSurreyFan]

First topic message reminder :

Well the season is finally here and I'm so excited that I have started this thread a day early...plus I'm working all day tomorrow

I have just checked the weather forecast and it looks promising, apparently a few showers tonight but clearing up by tomorrow morning to leave
a mainly dry day. Friday to Sunday are shown as dry though the players may want to get there winter knitwear out as it looks a bit Chilly.

Looking at the weather, although its mainly dry it could well be very overcast for a few days hopefully helping Lewis and Linely's swing attack

With No Wilson named in the squad and Davies still with England promising youngster Burns looks certain for a start.

Looking at the squad I expect one of Meaker/Dernbach to miss out in the bowling department and one of Ramprakash/Roy in the batting

The squad has been announced and is below

Rory Hamilton-Brown (capt)
Jacques Rudolph
Chris Jordan
Mark Ramprakash
Zander de Bruyn
Tom Maynard
Jason Roy
Rory Burns (wkt)
Gareth Batty
Jon Lewis
Stuart Meaker
Jade Dernbach
Tim Linley

[Carrotdude]

Good report guildford, a great end to the day puts us on top, hopefully we can press home the advantage tomorrow morning. Good to see all the seamers in the wickets. Maybe we should have played Roy instead of Batty and used Hyphen if we needed spin?

[MuchHappierSurreyFan]

Cheers for the report Guildford

Must admit I along with probably alot of us was surprised to see the Viscount miss out, early season weather should suit him and Lewis down to the ground. Anyway I was desperate to see us win the toss and when we lost it I was fearful so at 12 for 2 I decided to leave for work early and use the gym as I could feel a bout of depression coming on. It was a nice surprise when I got home from work to see we had posted 264 and Sussex were 105 for 5.

I would have to say that the first day has ended slightly in our favour but not massively. If we could just take advantage by nicking an early wicket or two this morning.

16 first day wickets and a dry weather forecast means there is almost definately going to be a result.

Heres Hoping

[MuchHappierSurreyFan]

River gets us one the two early wickets I was praying for!!!

[MuchHappierSurreyFan]

River gets another one, Arif for a duck, 113 for 7 great start come on boys lets finish this off

[MuchHappierSurreyFan]

Churchy is saying this is good batting pitch and these innings are more down to batsman errors than unplayable conditions!!!

[MuchHappierSurreyFan]

Meaker gets in on the act 122 for 8

[guildfordbat]

Tremendous start today by Surrey.

As Churchy and Lord Barran have just said, we generally let the opposition tail score too many in the opening games of last season. Hopefully that's a lesson we've learned.

[thegooch7]

Morning all
Great start this morning, although I tune in just as Meaker goes for a dozen!
Time for Lewis and Dernbach to come on and put an end to this innings surely?

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Dernbach finally breaks a stubborn stand between Gatting and Anyon. Let's wrap this up quickly now....

[MuchHappierSurreyFan]

I just performed my usual trick of turning the radio off for 30 mins and it has worked another wicket has gone though I was hoping we may have wrapped it up by now!

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Batty taking some stick. We're starting to hand back our advantage....

[Carrotdude]

After a great start to the day Gatting is doing a Wine Gums and ruining it all, no idea why Batty's bowling.

[thegooch7]

When do Surrey ever mop up a tail cheaply?!

[Carrotdude]

73 runs and counting for the last 2 wickets, very annoying!

[thegooch7]

run out!

[MuchHappierSurreyFan]

Hoping that Reindeer can come to the party this innings

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Reindeer single to get off the pair. And they survive to lunch....

[guildfordbat]

Maybe we should have played Roy instead of Batty and used Hyphen if we needed spin?

Hi Carrot - it did cross my mind as I walked into the bitterly cold ground yesterday that Batty just could be left out of the starting XI. He was never going to bowl much yesterday even if Sussex had batted first. Nor was any other slow bowler.

I think though - as the Corporal mentioned recently - he's regarded very much as the Club's senior professional who brings more to the party than can be seen from just his stats. He's always encouraging others in the field and seems to embody fight and grit.

Having watched Surrey more last year than at any other time, I'm far less critical of him than I was in 2010 (when he returned to the Club) and have gradually warmed to him. That doesn't make him undroppable in my book but it's right it goes into the mix.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Reindeer out... 28 - 1

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Ramps run out going for a quick single

[thegooch7]

Run out? Stumped? There's 2 and a half days to go - Madness!

[guildfordbat]

Run out? Stumped? There's 2 and a half days to go - Madness!

Hi Goochie - meant to say earlier, a warm welcome back.

Went out less than an hour ago just after Reindeer had been dismissed and return to find 3 more are back in the hutch. As you say, madness to lose one run out and another stumped with so much time left.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Hyphen and Winegums rattling along at nearly 7 an over.

[thegooch7]

Hi Guildford - it's good to be back! Crisis averted with the captain's knock and Wine Gums again batting sensibly! Lead 218, this is looking promising! Just need the Hammers to win now!

[Corporalhumblebucket]

100 partnership.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Hyphen caught for an excellent 89...

[thegooch7]

Great knock Hyphen! Wine Gums and Third Degree to get us past 300 lead before close now please!

[Corporalhumblebucket]

.....and Third Degree to get us past 300 lead before close now please!

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Winegums bowled.... but scored a good 47. Important that this innings doesn't fizzle out....

[guildfordbat]

A lead of 270 so far.

To win, Sussex will need to make the highest innings score of the match in the fourth innings. Not impossible but never easy.

We hold the upper hand ....

[thegooch7]

Well in Norah! In other news West Ham have scored!!

[Guest]

[Corporalhumblebucket]

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Meaker avoids a pair....

[thegooch7]

talking of pairs................2-0 to the Hammers!

[Guest]

[thegooch7]

3-0! Can't we play all our games away?!

[Guest]

come on the hammers!

[thegooch7]

Back to the cricket! Over 300 lead psychologically always feels better! 296 at the mo

[thegooch7]

40 run stand for the 9th wicket.............most welcome! keep it going lads!

[Corporalhumblebucket]

250 - 8. Useful partnership between Meaker and Lewis.... End of play

[guildfordbat]

A lead of 318 with 2 wickets left.

Looking good. Maybe a few snifters in the officers' mess tomorrow evening ....

[thegooch7]

Possibly being greedy now, but a 350 lead would be great, it'd give Norah a few more runs to play with! the way he bowls sometimes we need them!
So here's hoping we're in the mess tomorrow celebrating a Murray!!

[chichestersurryfan]

out all day.. just back to see Hammers have won 4-0 and Surrey in a good, albeit not invincible position....

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Forecast cloudy tomorrow. Could help with getting a bit of movement for the pace bowlers.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Meaker hits a four before players go off for bad light. Meanwhile sun shining brightly south of London...

[guildfordbat]

Morning Corporal - very dark clouds my way.

Just about understand Churchy's comments about natural light, artificial light and the dark red ball. Would be very frustrating though to be a spectator at the Oval now.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Hoping Meaker will develop further as a batsman. He is frequently dismissed for very low scores but if he gets in he can knock up a reasonable score. He's also got a fine judgement as per crucial match last season when he left a no ball which then went for a boundary after hitting his stumps.

Guildford - I'm starting to think Hyphen may be modelling himself on a certain Frank Woolley who didn't know the meaning of the word defence. Difficult to see Hyphen ending up with a first class average of 45+ but he plays a brand of cricket that could have punters rolling in through the gates on the off chance of seeing one of his occasional brilliant cavalier innings.

[guildfordbat]

Corporal - I think we've mentioned before that Meaker got a 150 in a seconds game about two or three years ago. There's certainly some batting ability there which he did show once or twice last season.

As for Hyphen's batting, you may be right about Woolley. I do suspect though that many Surrey supporters will only have 'immediate recall' memories and judge him after each innings. Cries of ''Wonderful!'' when it comes off but ''Sack him!'' when it doesn't.

Expect meltdown on the wallpaper site if we don't win this one!

[Corporalhumblebucket]

After a good start Sussex have lost two wickets, including Joyce bowled by Meaker. 40 - 2.