Surrey v Kent: Batsmen struggle after bowlers secure lead
Wednesday 15th July 2015
Kent face an uphill battle on the final day despite gaining a first-innings lead in the LV= County Championship match against Surrey at the Kia Oval.
A fine display by Kent’s seamers led by Darren Stevens, dismissed the hosts for 311 before Kent collapsed in the second innings leaving a victory target of 125 for the visitors.
Stevens claimed his 300th first-class wicket with the scalp of opener Arun Harinath and was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with figures of 4/76.
Kumar Sangakkara top-scored with 110 but even the great 37-year-old Sri Lankan had to work hard for his runs against Stevens, Matt Hunn, Matt Coles and Calum Haggett.
Resuming at 144 for one, Surrey lost Harinath for 76 to the fourth ball of the day, and the first ball that the left-hander faced, when Stevens nibbled one away from him and was rewarded by a snick to first slip.
Stevens, in an initial eight-over spell from the Vauxhall End, struck again when he had Ansari caught by Coles in similar fashion at first slip for 10 to peg Surrey back to 171 for three.
Haggett then struck to removeJason Roy fell to a beauty from Haggett caught behind by Sam Billings off the outside edge.
Dominic Sibley was leg-before to Coles and Foakes fell in similar style to Stevens for 5, aiming across the line.
James Burke made just 6 before he was caught at the wicket off the persistent Stevens and Batty was Hunn’s first victim when on 3 he thick-edged to Tredwell, who took a good sharp catch high to his right at second slip.
Sangakkara, running out of partners, reached his hundred by pulling Hunn for four, but he soon under-edged into his stumps attempting a similar stroke against the same bowler.
That was 288 for 9 but Sam Curran’s four fours earned Surrey a third batting bonus point before his older brother Tom, on 4, hit Hunn to Denly at backward point.
In the second innings, Surrey’s 17-year-old Sam Curran’s memorable debut continued as he removed Kent’s top three in the second innings before the spin of Zafar Ansari (2/19) and skipper Gareth Batty (4/12) ended the Kent effort.
Curran junior, who took 5 for 101 in Kent’s first innings, trappedDaniel Bell-Drummond leg-before for 5 with his sixth ball beforeAdam Ball caught for nought, miscuing a pull to short mid wicket.
Joe Denly became Curran’s third victim, in his fifth over, athletically caught by the bowler falling to his right in his follow-through as Denly tried to flip the ball towards mid on.
Sam Northeast’s 33 steadied Kent a little, as Ben Harmison also dug in, but 54 for 3 was soon 56 for 5 as Ansari’s left-arm spin snared Northeast, caught low at slip as he pushed forward, and Sam Billings, for 1, who chipped a catch tamely back to the bowler.
Batty got four of the last five wickets to fall, with Kent imploding from 86 for 5, first having Harmison caught behind for 24 trying to cut.
Calum Haggett also snicked to the keeper, pushing out defensively, and Darren Stevens then hit Batty on to his boot to be stumped for 14 as the momentum of his shot took him out of his crease.
The end of the innings came quickly, with Tredwell bowled by Tom Curran for 2 and Matt Coles, heaving at Batty, skying a simple catch to keeper Ben Foakes.
Off spinner James Tredwell bowled Zafar Ansari for nought with the last ball of the day, has at least given Kent some hope as Surrey finished a dramatic day on 4 for 1 from two overs.