A mammoth opening stand of 252 runs between centurions Ryan Patel and Ben Geddes, which was backed up with an important fifty by Josh Blake, put Surrey in a commanding place in the Second XI Championship fixture against Sussex at Horsham.
Following a gripping contest at New Malden against Middlesex, Surrey Seconds were back in action, travelling away to take on Sussex.
Having won the toss and elected to bat, the Three Feathers justified their decision by closing on 407/8 on the first day, propelled to that score by a sublime partnership between centurions Patel (137) and Geddes (107).
Producing opening stands of 42 and 129, Surrey’s left-and-right duo looked in great nick at New Malden. Today, however, Geddes and Patel took it up a notch further and added a huge 252 runs together from merely 334 balls for the first wicket, batting out the entire morning session and much of the afternoon session.
In the process of this incredible partnership, Patel brought up this third consecutive century in the competitions, having collected 101 and 110 against Middlesex in the last game. The left-handed batted imperiously, striking 17 fours and a solitary six, with 73 of his runs coming through his favourite cover region. From the other end, Geddes was batting equally well as he also completed his third century of the competition, hitting 13 fours and two sixes along the way.
The astonishing partnership was ultimately broken in the 55th over as GS Ealham got Geddes caught at the boundary for a wonderful 107. A couple of over later, Sussex were able to remove the other centurion too as H Rogers got Patel caught behind, leaving Surrey 270/2.
From there on, Sussex found some rhythm and came back by picking up six relatively quick wickets and limiting Surrey to 329/8. Cam Steel (18), Stuart Van der Merwe (17), Conor McKerr (5), Nick Kimber (0), Tommy Ealham (4), and Luke Griffiths (0) were the batters to fall in what was Sussex’s best period of the day.
Surrey, however, were able to break Sussex’s budding momentum when Josh Blake and Yousef Majid began a gusty partnership for the ninth wicket. The two of them went on to add 78 unbeaten runs to reinstate Surrey’s position of strength by the close of play.
Despite witnessing the loss of regular wickets from the non-striker’s end, number four Blake acted as a glue to latter half of Surrey’s innings and knitted together a crucial 61 not out before the end of play. Majid, who came in to bat at 329/8, also showed great resilience in his knock of 36 unbeaten.
AM Foreman, who claimed four for 105, was the pick of the bowlers for Sussex, while Rogers finished the day on 2/27.
