Sussex's day despite Wilson ton

A late fight back from Sussex has meant that they have taken the spoils on day one of the Championship game at the Oval, despite a superb century from Gary Wilson.

What a difference a session can make, as we were well on top at tea on 181-2, but by the end of the day’s play, we had been restricted to 301-7 thanks to a good last session from 3 former Surrey seamers.

The first news of the day was that, as expected, a thigh strain had kept Stuart Meaker out of action this week. Gary Keedy was also left out of the final X1, with Tim Linley and Chris Tremlett making their first appearances of the season. Arun Harinath was also hit on the hand in practice this morning, which forced him out of the game, with Jason Roy swiftly making his way to the Oval.

Graeme Smith did the first job right, winning the toss and batting, but after getting to just 3, he had a brute of a delivery from Jimmy Anyon in which he could only nick through to Ben Brown behind the stumps. With Harinath out, Wilson was promoted to number 3, and he and Rory Burns had to fight hard to keep their wicket, with some good tight bowling from the Sussex bowlers, with Surrey going to lunch on 58-1 off 33 overs.

Burns was dismissed straight after lunch for 32, with Jordan claiming his first wicket against his old county, and Surrey had to be careful that their morning work wouldn’t be undone. But Wilson and

Solanki made sure that wasn’t to be, as they upped the rate considerably, with the Irish wicket keeper going to his first half century of the season. They put together a partnership that could be crucial in the context of the game, taking us to tea on 181-2, with Solanki registering his first 50 for his new county in the process.

However, Solanki was strangled down the leg side off the first ball after tea for 51. He’ll be happy that he’s got his first half century, but disappointed that he couldn’t kick on after he was looking very good indeed. De Bruyn came to the crease, and helped Wilson get to his first championship hundred since 2010, coming off 207 balls, but he could only make it to 124 before he was adjudged LBW off the bowling of Jordan in the second over of the new ball.

2 wickets in an over for Steve Magoffin then really turned the game on its head, swinging one back in at Steve Davies to have him LBW, before uprooting Roy’s off stump without scoring. De Bruyn looked to take us to the close 6 down with Batty, but the South African was caught on the crease on 31. Batty and Tremlett made sure we wouldn’t be all out today, consolidating the final 4 and a half overs to close on 301-7.

So, considering where we were at 3:40, that is a poor day all things considered. Wilson and Solanki looked at ease at the crease, but a stroke of misfortune got rid of Solanki, and as it always seems to do at the Oval, the new ball made a massive impact.

I’m overjoyed for Wilson, who has really deserved a place in the side, and his wild celebrations after reaching his century really showed what it meant to him. Solanki was looking dangerous until his dismissal, getting out at just the wrong time, and Davies and Roy received two superb deliveries from Magoffin. It is a worry that Smith has not managed to get to double figures in his two innings so far, but he did get a brilliant delivery from Anyon.

Tomorrow we will have to hit our straps early with the new ball, because that looks the best time to get wickets, and hope to gain a first innings lead, but that is easier said than done with a strong Sussex batting line up on a good looking pitch.