Ben Foakes was the star on day two as Surrey made 428/8dec against champions Warwickshire, who lost two late wickets at the end of the day in their LV=Insurance County Championship clash at Edgbaston.
Ben Foakes underlined his intention to nail down the England wicketkeeper’s spot long-term with a high-class century for Surrey against Warwickshire on the second day of their LV=Insurance County Championship match at Edgbaston.
Foakes struck a composed unbeaten 132 (263 balls, 18 fours, one six) to provide the backbone as Surrey kept the champions in the field for almost two days on the way to an imposing 428/8 declared.
Despite being dropped in the slips on 37 and 54, those were rare aberrations in over six hours of impressive concentration and resolve from the 29-year-old.
With support from Ollie Pope (58 from 85 balls) and Jordan Clark (50 from 91 balls), Foakes lifted Surrey to a total from which they will aim to put their hosts under serious pressure. In 12 overs before the close, Warwickshire faltered to 16/2 in reply, with Reece Topley bowling Dominic Sibley off the inside edge from his first ball of the season and skipper Will Rhodes feathering a leg-glance to Foakes off Kemar Roach.
After resuming on the second morning on 168/3, Surrey were made to work hard for runs in a morning session which yielded 72 runs from 35.1 overs. Pope posted a 76-ball half-century before being bowled by Olly Hannon-Dalby.
Foakes and Jamie Smith ground out a stand of 25 in 15 overs before the latter edged Danny Briggs to wicketkeeper Michael Burgess. When Hannon-Dalby trapped Will Jacks lbw, at 255/6, Surrey needed impetus and Foakes and Clark supplied it with a stand of 86 in 28 overs.
Hannon-Dalby (4-78) and Briggs (3-84) maintained pressure on the batters, harvesting a combined 7-162 while the other bowlers took 1-260.
Clark ladled Rob Yates to short fine leg and Kemar Roach bat-padded Briggs to short leg but, at 350/8, Foakes found another useful partner in James Taylor. They added an unbroken 78 in 21 overs before the declaration left Warwickshire an awkward 12-over session in deteriorating light.
Surrey struck an immediate blow when Sibley copped a first-baller. Topley’s first delivery was wide and swinging outside off stump and the opener was lured into a drive which he dragged onto his wicket. Rhodes then fell to Roach, strangled down the leg-side as Foakes completed his fine day with a smart catch.
Play resumes tomorrow at 11am. You can follow all the action, check the scorecard and see in-game highlights on the Warwickshire Match Centre.
