Cam Steel produced a fabulous performance with the ball on day two, taking 6/50 in the first innings, as Surrey enforced Sussex to follow on in the Second XI Championship fixture at Horsham.
After enjoying a fantastic batting day yesterday, Surrey carried on from where they left off. With great ease, the ninth wicket partnership between Josh Blake and Yousef Majid – which was unbeaten on 78 overnight – moved to a hundred and beyond on the second morning.
It was only after Surrey had added 44 runs to their overnight score of 407/8 and secured their fifth batting point that Sussex could make their first breakthrough of day two. Batting on 87, Blake was struck on his pads by A Foreman and the wicket-keeper-batter’s brilliant innings ended. He became Foreman’s fifth wicket of the innings.
Despite reducing Surrey to their final partnership, there was no respite for Sussex’s bowlers as Majid and number eleven Matt Dunn embarked on an entertaining 72-run partnership from merely 50 balls. 36 of those runs came from the bat of Majid from 25 balls, while Dunn scored an unbeaten 34 in the same number of balls – smashing four big sixes.
Eventually, Sussex found the last wicket as Majid was run out by L Carter at the non-striker’s end for 86 off 138 balls. The left-hander struck 11 fours and one six during his time in the middle.
The end of Majid’s brilliant innings also meant the conclusion of Surrey’s innings, with an incredible 523 runs on the board.
When Surrey came out to bowl, they kept their intensity as Sussex were bundled over for 133, 390 runs behind their visitors, with Steel taking 6/50 and delivering a spin bowling masterclass at Horsham.
Surrey’s new-ball of Dunn and Conor McKerr pair began the proceedings perfectly as the former got H Ward caught behind for 3 before the latter removed A Foreman in the same manner for 14, leaving Sussex 21/2.
Soon after, McKerr then picked up another wicket as C Tear (16) fended for a ball outside off-stump and the edge was held by Steel in the slip cordon.
Once Steel moved from the slip cordon to his bowling mark, he became unstoppable – bowling magnificently and picking up the wickets of H Rogers (16), L Carter (47), R Tangirala (11), F Wallis (0), G Ealham (13), and H Crocombe (0) inside 13 overs while giving away 50 runs.
The last Sussex wicket was taken by Amar Virdi as J Atkins was caught by McKerr for 6 and Sussex were all out for 133.
Electing to enforce the follow-on, Surrey went to tighten their grip on this game further in the evening session, as Sussex crumbled to 98/4 by the close of play. All the bowlers to have a bowl in the second innings – McKerr, Dunn, Steel, and Virdi – claimed a wicket apiece.
The hosts will begin day three trailing Surrey’s first innings total by 292 runs, while the visitors hunt for 6 wickets.
A report from day one can be found here.
