Chris Adams sacked

As most of you will know by now, Chris Adams and Ian Salisbury have been relieved of their duties at Surrey. I've expressed my thoughts on ESPNCricinfo's County Cricket blogging network here.

Sad as it always is for a club to part company with a coach, this has to be seen as an opportunity to refresh. I hope we can get someone in who can lead this talented squad to the success it deserves. I also wish Adams and Salisbury all the best and hope they find success elsewhere.

Another draw but plenty of positives

What goes around comes around in cricket, so to blame the weather for a failure to win this match would be folly. But what the hell, if it hadn't rained on Wednesday we'd have had a mighty fine chance of beating a very good Sussex side.

The sedate beginning to the day, where Zander de Bruyn deservedly went to his first hundred of the season supported by Zafar Ansari, belied what was to come. Once that pair were dismissed, for 111 and 13 respectively, the fireworks began. Chris Tremlett and Tim Linley put together a ninth wicket partnership worth 74 in only seven overs. Tremlett registered his second fifty for Surrey from only 29 balls, in the process taking Surrey to maximum batting points with a ball to spare, hitting Steve Magoffin for consecutive sixes. All in all he took the leading wicket taker in County Cricket for four sixes and 30 runs in just three overs. It was an indicator of just how flat the pitch had become, and just what a mammoth task Surrey would have to bowl out an experienced Sussex batting lineup in less than three sessions.

Once Tremlett was dismissed to give Chris Jordan his third wicket Vikram Solanki called time on the innings giving Surrey a lead of 161 over their opponents. Chris Nash and Luke Wells had just under an hour to bat before lunch and for Surrey to have any hope of winning they needed the new ball to do some damage. It didn't.

Wells and Nash put on a century partnership to all-but secure the draw. A few balls went past the edge and Wells edged a number of deliveries, but nothing went to hand. It was possibly not the best new ball bowling Surrey have ever indulged in, but in truth getting ten wickets on such a docile surface would always been a very tough ask for any attack. Ansari did wheedle out two wickets and conceded just 49 runs from his 20 overs. He has, in bowling 32 overs in this game, matched the haul of wickets Gary Keedy managed in 126, and gave fewer runs away in the process. It's hard to see how Keedy plays Championship cricket for us again this year aside from as injury cover.

The captains shook hands on a draw before 5pm after Nash moved to his first Championship hundred of 2013. We have now drawn six of eight games this year and needless to say we are still without a win at the halfway point. On a positive note our haul of 11 points from this game did lift us above Somerset but just as with Durham last year, you have to think they are too good a side to remain in the bottom two. As are we for that matter.

Aside from this game ending in another draw, there are signs that a corner may have been turned. It was another flat pitch but our batsmen again showed a lot of resilience. And in light of the flatness of the pitch the bowlers must be praised for knocking over Sussex for under 300 on day two. We've strung together three strong days of Championship cricket for the first time this season and that is significant. The players have a few days off before we play the form team, Yorkshire at Headingley starting on Friday. For that game we'll welcome back one Kevin Pietersen. If a corner has been turned, next week's game will be a cracker.

Slim chance of a win on final day

Taken as a whole these last couple of days probably represent Surrey's best two days of Championship cricket this season. And it couldn't have come at a better time. Surrey closed day three on 362 for 6, a lead of 67 over Sussex with three fascinating sessions of cricket left to play.

The day began with Rory Burns and Arun Harinath resuming and tasked with surviving the new ball onslaught from Anyon and Magoffin. They did so superbly, and although neither kicked on today I cannot praise this pair highly enough. They recorded their second 50 partnership in the last three innings and although they both had their fair share of luck, they toughed it out excellently. Harinath was the first to go as he edged a Chris Jordan delivery that he probably could've left into Ed Joyce's hands at slip. Although Burns and the new man Solanki put on a good 40 partnership, Burns fell within sight of lunch for 36. We've lost wickets on the stroke of breaks in play so many times this season, its frustrating because it gives the opposition a lift at precisely the wrong moment.

After the lunch break Solanki and Ponting emerged and looked to build on the solid 102-2 platform laid. However Ponting registered his first failure for Surrey as he edged a Steve Magoffin delivery into Jordan's hands at slip. The ex-Surrey man had had a hand in all three of the wickets to fall.

With an out of form Zander de Bruyn to come and a Solanki who has rarely looked out of form but has equally rarely kicked on to big scores at the crease, there may have been some nerves around. There needn't have been as the pair compiled a superb 177 run partnership to put Surrey well on top. Solanki was his usual silky self and while de Bruyn was hardly fluent, he stuck to his task brilliantly.

By the time they were parted Solanki had moved to a superb maiden Championship hundred for Surrey and we were within sight of a lead. After Solanki's departure - trying to loft Panesar only to find Prior at long on - Davies and Wilson also perished in the pursuit of quick runs.

I was disappointed that we didn't look to give Tremlett and Dernbach at least a few overs at the Sussex openers this evening but as the close approached, so too did de Bruyn's hundred. I hope one man's score is not a consideration in the context of this match and this season. Perhaps now Surrey are looking to pick up quick runs tomorrow morning to pile the pressure on Sussex. If we get a lead of 200+ by lunch all it'll take is a couple of quick wickets to put the frighteners on Sussex. Equally though a couple of quick Sussex wickets tomorrow and a win becomes all but impossible. Ultimately I think a few overs at them this evening would've been my preference, but I've never made a good captain.

At least we have a sniff of a win going into tomorrow, which is no mean feat against a very good side. This performance has been a vast improvement on previous efforts and if we hadn't lost a day to rain who knows what might have been. There probably isnt enough life in this pitch to bowl Sussex out very cheaply tomorrow, but you never know. All results are genuinely possible going into day four, and we haven't been able to say that too many times this season.

Solid Surrey edge day one

Technically speaking its day two actually, but since the real day one was completely washed out this is now a three day Championship fixture. Today Surrey enjoyed one of their better days in the field this season, probably their best since bowling Middlesex out for 166 in early May. They closed the day one without loss, having to face four testing overs in the evening after bowling Sussex out for 295.

Time will tell of course just how well Surrey bowled today, but having won the toss in the morning it's always positive to be batting yourselves by the end of the day. Jon Lewis and Gary Keedy were the missing names in the XI as Chris Adams gave Zafar Ansari the spin burden to shoulder. With a bowling attack of Chris Tremlett, Jade Dernbach and Tim Linley to face, the Sussex openers won't have fancied batting too much early this morning after a rain shower delayed the start by 15 minutes.

The partnership didn't last long either as Luke Wells padded up to Jade Dernbach and was given leg before. He's averaged just 33 since that big double hundred against Surrey in April but nevertheless given his previous it was good to see the back of him early on. Chris Nash and Mike Yardy set about building the total and had put on 51 when Nash tamely chipped Tim Linley to cover with lunch approaching. It was a soft dismissal but no less deserved for Linley who's bowled far better than his haul of wickets this season indicated.

Surrey continued to chip away at Sussex and no partnership was allowed to get out of hand. Ed Joyce was caught and bowled by Linley before Yardy departed lbw to the bowling of Zander de Bruyn. There was a feeling of foreboding though as that brought to the crease the partnership of Luke Wright and Matt Prior, two fine and in form batsmen. But with the partnership on 29 Ansari took his first Championship wicket of the season as he had Prior caught at leg slip.

Ben Brown was bowled not long after but then came the recovery. Chris Jordan joined Luke Wright in a partnership of 59 to bring Sussex back into the game. When momentum seemed to be slipping away from Surrey again the second new ball gave them a new lease of life. The dangerous Wright was the first to go, caught at slip off Tremlett and Magoffin, Anyon and finally Jordan followed him in quick succession. The new ball had brought four wickets for 37 runs and we had not allowed a tail end to rack up the runs - something we are too often guilty of.

The wickets were shared round the bowlers which is exactly where we've been found wanting this season. Surrey had a tricky four over spell to negotiate in the evening sunshine, but in Harinath and Burns we have an opening partnership who value their wickets highly. The ball beat the bat several times and the Sussex bowlers bowled well from the word go, but no wickets fell.

With only two days remaining we will have to play some positive cricket if we want to get a result. If the openers can weather the new ball and lay a platform for Ponting and the rest of the middle order, we can still force something. Not that Sussex are going to give much away easily though. When the opening bowlers depart there's still Chris Jordan and Monty Panesar to negotiate - runs are not going to be easy to come by.

Arundel the next stop on Surrey's victory hunt

Surrey’s 2013 Championship campaign reaches the half way mark this week as they visit Arundel to play Division One pace-setters Sussex. Chris Adams' troops are still searching for a first Championship win of the season.

 

A 13 man squad has been named and a possible XI is as follows:

 

Rory Burns
Arun Harinath
Vikram Solanki
Ricky Ponting
Zander de Bruyn
Steven Davies
Gary Wilson
Zafar Ansari
Jon Lewis
Chris Tremlett
Jade Dernbach

 

12th men: Tim Linley, Gary Keedy

 

The return of Zafar Ansari to the four day game is most welcome. He didn't have a great time of it opening the batting last season but his talent is unquestionable. He does provide something of a selection conundrum though. Gary Keedy had another barren game at Guildford, taking a wicket with his fifth ball and absolutely nothing else with the other 247. But is it too much to expect Ansari to shoulder the spinning burden? Possibly, but Arundel has favoured the seamers in the past two seasons with 54 of the 68 wickets falling to the quicker men. Adams may reason that with seam bowling likely to do the bulk of the damage, only limited spin will be required. 

 

I am disappointed that with Stuart Meaker suffering an ongoing knee injury that the opportunity was not taken to name one of Edwards or Dunn in the squad. Jon Lewis is a seasoned pro who is unlikely to let the side down (except in bowling no balls), but Dunn and Edwards are the future.

 

The final XI is quite a tricky one to predict. Adams knows we are desperate for a win, and may need one to save his bacon, but he can't attack too much for fear of the batting collapsing in a heap again. We are due a game when more than one bowler at a time performs, thus far frequently one individual has had to shoulder too much of the wicket taking burden. If we can just get Dernbach and Tremlett on song together for more than a few overs we can prevail even against the table toppers.

 

Sussex have had a fine start to their season, winning three and losing none of their first seven games. They can count again on the presence of Matt Prior, who scored a 45 ball 62 at the Oval, to bolster their alreay formidable batting. Luke Wells will be looking to inflate his already enormous average (118) against Surrey and Luke Wright comes into this game off the back of a career best 187 to save the game against Middlesex last week. Rory Hamilton-Brown won't be playing though, he's been dropped after averaging just 28 in his first six matches back at Sussex. Their bowling is strong too, Steve Magoffin and Chris Jordan sit atop the list of Division One wicket takers, while James Anyon backs them up and one of Will Beer or Monty Panesar will take spinning duties.

 

To make it to the half way mark in the season without a win would be desperately disappointing. We are capable of beating teams like Sussex but only if we are the sum of our parts (or better still more than the sum!) and so far this season we haven't been. Arundel has seen results in both of the last two years, although Wednesday's dreadful forecast might put paid to any hope of one this year. We might be able to beat Sussex over four days, but three would probably be too much to ask.

 

At Guildford the top order batting prospered, albeit on a flat track. Harinath and Burns are developing into two sensible, responsible and quality performers, Ponting's enduring class is not in doubt and we welcome back Steven Davies from injury. As ever with Surrey we have a side on paper that is capable of big wins. Whether that is delivered in practice remains to be seen, but its about time it was.

Defeat to Lancashire spells YB40 doom

Surrey's hopes of progressing in the YB40 took a major blow today as Lancashire recorded a convincing win by five wickets and with 15 balls remaining.

Lancashire won the toss and chose to field. Surrey surprisingly omitted Keedy and went for an all pace attack augmented by the left arm spin of Ansari. As has so often been the case Steven Davies and Jason Roy got the side off to a flier, taking Lancashire's bowlers for 63 runs in the eight over powerplay. Davies was particularly brutal as he moved to fifty from just 26 balls, his fourth score of fifty or more in seven YB40 innings this year.

The pair raced to 101 from just 12 overs before Davies fell to an athletic Stephen Moore catch off the bowling of Kyle Hogg. Roy also fell the very next ball after going to fifty as he edged Jordan Clark to the keeper. Thereafter it was a case of Surrey failing to establish any meaningful partnerships as we slid from 101 for no wicket after 12 overs to 198-7 off 32. Once again we had failed to capitalise on a flying start, though credit should be given to Lancashire's fine bowling effort.

Zander de Bruyn, batting at number eight, did an excellent job of finishing the innings as he scored 34 from 26 deliveries and formed a very useful 44 run partnership with Chris Tremlett over the final five overs. In the process de Bruyn almost doubled his tally of YB40 boundaries for 2013. Surrey's total of 264 looked below par but was at least something to bowl at.

The Lancashire chase began with fewer fireworks but Moore and Ashwell Prince calmly gave their side a very good platform. They were parted in the 12th over of the chase with the score on 85 as Moore got a leading edge off Jon Lewis, but Prince stood firm. With the score approaching 150 Lancashire lost Steven Croft, Prince and Karl Brown in the space of three overs to give Surrey hope. When Jordan Clark fell to de Bruyn with the score on 189 and the required rate well past 8 an over, Surrey looked hot favourites.

However that didn't count on the man batting at number five for Lancashire. Simon Katich put on an unbeaten partnership of 76 with Gareth Cross at almost 12 runs per over, including an over off de Bruyn where they took him for five consecutive fours to break the back of the chase. Katich finished on 57 from 37 deliveries, he'd marshalled the chase absolutely superbly.

It's hard to pinpoint a precise reason for the failure today. Certainly the extras we conceded, 21, including three no balls between Azhar Mahmood and Jon Lewis, didn't help. We're also not as good a fielding side as Lancashire. Katich and Moore plucked superb catches out of nowhere to get rid of Davies and Solanki, while Moore also ran out Ponting with a direct hit. As a fielding unit we're probably giving away 20 runs at the outset to the very best sides. I also find it odd that Zafar Ansari was left with six un-bowled overs when Stephen Parry took 1-34 for Lancashire with his left armers.

With just six points from seven matches we're all but out of the YB40 now. We've recorded just two wins all season and one of those was against Scotland. For all the talent and all the investment in the playing staff, we just aren't delivering results. The Twenty20 now remains our only hope of any semblance of success this season. That "domination" that the club hierarchy spoke of earlier this year feels an awful long way off.

More new recruits to boost Surrey's faltering season

Over the coming months two more new faces will cross the threshold at the Oval, Glenn Maxwell, confirmed by Surrey yesterday as signing for the Twenty20, and JP Duminy, widely reported to be coming as cover for Ricky Ponting from August onwards.

That brings the total of new faces at the Oval in 2013 to eight, a remarkable turnover in personnel in the space of just 12 months. With so many comings and goings, getting any sort of team ethic together will be a substantial challenge for the coaching staff.

So what of these new signings? Glenn Maxwell is most recently famous for scoring a million dollar contract to play for the victorious Mumbai Indians in the IPL (and only actually playing three times) but in recent months also made his Test debut for Australia in India. He comes highly regarded, and not just by himself.

In last year's Twenty20, playing for Hampshire, Maxwell topped their batting averages with 179 runs at 44, and a remarkable strike rate of 175. He also picked up seven wickets along the way with his handy off spin. Most pertinently Maxwell is an athletic fielder which is crucial with our side at times bordering on the geriatric.

Maxwell's record isn't stellar in any form of limited overs cricket, he doesn't average over 30 in Twenty20 or List A, and he's never scored a limited overs century. Neither is his career bowling record especially impressive so on the face of it he's a curious signing. However, despite that I think he's a good recruit. For a long time we've been lacking brute force in the middle order, with Maxwell and Azhar Mahmood (notwithstanding the fact that I would rather see a youngster play in his place), that issue has been addressed.

The batting line up is, on paper, a good combination of power, finesse, experience and innovation. Roy, Maxwell and Azhar can provide the big hitting, Davies can find the gaps, Wilson can sweep and scoop his way through the middle overs, Ponting can be the brain and Ansari can finish things off. A varied bowling attack goes with it so we might just end up ticking a lot of boxes.

Should the JP Duminy signing be confirmed as well he won't be a like-for-like replacement for Ricky Ponting and Graeme Smith (who presumably played a significant role in the signing of his fellow South African international), but we will be welcoming a tremendously valuable cricketer. He has an impressive first class record, with 5,000 runs at an average just a tick over 50, plus over 4,000 List A runs at an average just below 40. His useful off breaks could also be called on plenty as late season pitches begin to wear.

Duminy has recently been out for six months after rupturing his Achilles tendon during South Africa's test against Australia in November. However it seems to have done him little harm since his first innings returning from the injury was a career-best 150 not out against Holland ten days ago.

Surrey have been very active in the market for new players this year and while the domestic signings have been hit and miss, the overseas signings have for once been very good. I still worry that the approach we're adopting is hardly planning for the future, but it is what it is. What isn't in doubt is that we're in desperate need of an upturn in fortunes, perhaps one of these two arrivals can provide that.