Thursday 1 September 2011

Career best for Meaker gives Surrey 1st innings lead



Stuart Meaker claimed career best figures of 5-37 to help Surrey bowl the LVCC Division 2 leaders Northamptonshire out for 194, 75 behind Surrey's 269, on day 2 at Wantage Road.

The day started off with Northamptonshire 4 without loss, after Surrey's disappointing 269 all out on day 1, on a pitch which if you get in, big scores are there to be made. However, Zander de Bruyn opening up, gave Surrey the perfect start when he trapped Kyle Coetzer lbw second ball of the day without scoring. However, Surrey failed to capitalize on their early breakthrough and Alex Wakely joined joined Rob Newton and both batsman batted with relative ease.

But with the score on 67, Stuart Meaker made the breakthrough when he had Wakely caught behind for 29. David Sales came to the crease and the Northants batsman took their team to 112-2 at lunch.

10 minutes after lunch, Tim Linley took his 98th first class career wicket, when he trapped David Sales plum in front. Surrey would of then thought to have kicked on and taken a couple more quick wickets but Andrew Hall had other ideas. In a partnership of 53 with Rob Newton, Hall scored 36 in a typically aggressive manner to help Northants to within 100 hundred of Surrey's total.

But with the score on 178, Meaker struck. On the second ball of his over, Meaker had Hall caught behind and then very next ball bowled wicket keeper Niall O'Brien. Meaker couldn't complete his hat trick but on his third ball, James Middlebrook edged to Zander de Bruyn at slip, and Meaker had a triple wicket maiden. He then followed that up with getting Rob Newton caught behind once again for a well made 80. 4 wickets for Meaker in 7 balls, conceding no runs. That wicket completed Meaker's 4th first class fifer.

Chaminda Vaas was then caught at short leg by Jason Roy for Pragyan Ojha's first wicket of the match, and Tim Linley cleaned up Dave Burton 13 runs later. Northants 194 all out, a vital lead for Surrey which at the start of the day looked far off.

Rory Hamilton- Brown started the Surrey innings in typical fashion, pulling a Dave Burton bouncer over deep backward square for six, and playing Chaminda Vaas behind square for another boundary. But the very next ball, on 22, RHB drove once too many and a thick outside edge found Niall O'Brien behind the stumps. Surrey 29-1.

Steven Davies and Mark Ramprakash lead Surrey brilliantly using experience in the situation as well as the odd attacking stroke. However, Ramprakash fell 5 overs before the close, on 38 when Andrew Hall trapped him in front in the skipper's first over. Tim Linley, in as nightwatchman, was then cleaned up by James Middlebrook in the next over, leaving Zander de Bruyn a tricky period to survive, which he did, with Steven Davies. Surrey finishing a very good day, 115-3, a lead of 190.

No comments:

Post a Comment