20 wickets fell on a ball-dominated day one of the Second XI Championship fixture in Billericay, with Matt Dunn collecting a five-for and spearheading Surrey’s bowling unit against a combined team of Essex/Kent.
Essex/Kent, however, were the side that came out on top, securing a crucial lead of 125 runs having dismissed their opponents for 88 all out in the first innings. In the second innings, Surrey openers – Ben Geddes and Ollie Hunt – saw off five testing overs in the evening, finishing on 17/0 at the close and reducing the deficit to 108 runs.
Hamidullah Qadri won the toss and had no hesitations in inserting Surrey on a lively deck at Billericay CC. His bowlers lived up to the task and had the Three Feathers in trouble from the get-go.
Jamal Richards, the pick of the bowlers for Essex/Kent, delivered a lethal opening spell to claim five big wickets and set the agenda from the very beginning. After Hunt (0) feathered Nathan Gilchrist through to the keeper in the first over, Richards was on a hattrick from the other end, bowling Geddes (3) and Ollie Sykes (0) and leaving Surrey three for three.
Adam Thomas (7) and Josh Blake (9) were the next two batters who fell prey to Richards’ pace and swing, both being clean bowled by the right-arm seamer. Richards, in his final over of the seven-over spell, broke the 20-run stand between Ashane Wijesuriya and Tommy Ealham, bowling the latter for six and completing his five-for.
Surrey added another 20 runs to their tally and moved to 70 for six before Noah Thain got one to nip back swiftly and bowled Barnwell for six. Wijesuriya, carried on trying to counterattack, but his quickfire innings of 36 off 26 balls ended when J Singh had the Surrey batter caught in the slips.
Thain then bowled James Taylor for five before Singh wrapped up Surrey’s innings by finding the outside edge of Yousef Majid’s blade for six.
Eager to extract movement from the green pitch, Surrey also started strongly, seeing the back of Nick Browne, who nicked Dunn (5/72) to Sykes at first slip for 10. Sykes was in action again 21 runs later when Feroze Khushi (9) feathered a Taylor delivery that seamed away.
Taylor collected his second scalp and Sykes his third grab at first slip as Luke Benkenstein went for a big drive and edged behind for 31.
That left Essex/Kent in a precarious position on three for 56 but MK O’Riordan and Charlie Allison bailed them out and took them into the lead with an 84-run stand – the highest of the day.
At the cusp of tea, Dunn ended the crucial fifth wicket alliance as O’Riordan was caught in the slip cordon by Thomas for 41 of 68 balls. With what turned out to be the last ball of the session, Majid dismissed Allison, who was looking to take the aerial route, for 42 off 54 balls.
Surrey began the final session on the front foot, Ealham getting the better of Thain for four as Sykes reacted brilliantly at slip to pouch his fourth catch of the innings.
Skipper Qadri and Richards, however, didn’t allow the Three Feathers to make further in-roads before scoring 45 important runs for the seventh wicket, taking their side past 190 and the lead beyond 100.
Dunn took matters into his hand from there on, picking up wickets of Qadri (29), O Morgan (6), and Richards (20) and completing his five-wicket-haul. The final wicket of the innings went to Barnwell as Essex/Kent were all out for 213.
After facing five probing overs with the new ball, the umpires deemed the light too dark to carry on and stumps were taken with Surrey 17 without loss, behind by 108 runs.
