Sluggish Surrey show signs of life but same flaws remain

It has been a sluggish start to the season for a samey Surrey attack, and for the first half of the opening day against Essex, their struggles continued.

It took until 3pm, and 47 overs, to break Essex’s opening partnership of 183, despite Surrey having the help of a toss win, a green pitch, a 5,500-strong Oval crowd and the return of England’s Gus Atkinson. That followed two high-scoring draws to start the season that left their bowling averages looking ugly and questions swirling about the spin-shy approach that brought three County Championship titles between 2022 and 2024.

But by stumps on a gorgeous day, Surrey had fought back, and remain in this match. The Oval pitch tends to get better for batting on day two and three – Leicestershire responded to the home side’s 520 with 691 a fortnight ago – and Surrey’s batsmen, led by Jamie Smith, are in fine form.

For all that they could still win this match and indeed the championship this year, the formula that brought them those previous titles may be fraying. Last year, they struggled to defy flat pitches away from home, and there is a danger those issues are creeping back to the Oval. They have failed to win any of their last five matches here, including some very high-scoring draws. Generally, the chance to make inroads is on day one – Rory Burns won the toss, and became the 26th successive captain to insert the opposition in first-class cricket at the Oval, stretching back to April 2023.

They have failed to address their lack of spin; all-rounder Ralphie Albert – the grandson of snooker legend Jimmy White – played at Edgbaston, but has been left out at home, while India’s Rahul Chahar will return for the second half of the season. But here, they have just Dan Lawrence, who was not called upon until the 66th over, and remains a part-timer, just as he was when he joined from Essex in 2023. Their seamers are ageing, too. Kemar Roach has moved on, Jordan Clark is 35, and Dan Worrall joins him in July. Worrall is starting to suffer niggly injuries, such as the calf issue that has kept him out of the first month of the season.

Clark, with the wicket of Dean Elgar, kicked off Surrey’s fightback here, and was the pick of the bowlers. Thanks to a cautious rehabilitation, Atkinson has not played since a hamstring injury suffered in the Boxing Day Test in England’s awful Ashes. He was not at his best, but found more bounce than any other bowler, and will have been relieved to pick up a wicket, Michael Pepper bowled with a peach, with the second new ball. He will make the squad to face New Zealand in June, alongside Josh Tongue, who picked up five for 91 for Nottinghamshire against Warwickshire, another excellent performance.

Elgar’s opening partner is Paul Walter, who made a fine century. Walter’s is a name only mentioned in dispatches to succeed another tall man, Zak Crawley, as England’s opener. Crawley made his highest score of the season, but it was just 27, for Kent against Worcestershire at New Road. He was given out caught behind off Matthew Waite, but appeared to miss the ball by some distance, and made his frustration plain. A rival for Crawley’s spot, Glamorgan’s Asa Tribe, made just 24 against Leicestershire, but others will get their chance on Saturday.

Perhaps Walter is only on the fringes of the conversation because as a giant all-rounder, he is an adopted opener. But he averages 50.5 in the position and plays with some grace. He enjoyed some luck here. Dom Sibley missed a run out chance on 13 and Sean Abbott dropped a straightforward caught and bowled when he was on 53. Walter had set off for the pavilion by the time he realised, due to the crowd’s reaction, that Abbott had put the chance down. Surrey have not only bowled poorly, but caught poorly this season, too. When Abbott eventually pinned Walter lbw, his animated, frustrated celebration told a tale.

That wicket sparked an excellent old-ball burst from Surrey. Matthew Fisher picked up the sprightly Charlie Allison, then Tom Lawes made Matt Critchley his second victim of a terrific day.

[Source: Daily Telegraph]