Led by Josh Blakes’s magnificent 96 not out as well as Reece Topley’s (2/15) and Conor McKerr’s (2/8), Surrey defeated Suffolk by 101 runs (DLS) in the National Counties showcase match at Woolpit CC.
Ben Geddes won the toss and walked out to open Surrey’s innings alongside Ryan Patel. Starting steady, the Three Feathers added 31 runs before the first breakthrough, which arrived in the form of Geddes when he was bowled over by JA Beaumont for 20.
Before the end of the first powerplay, the visitors also lost Patel (15) – clean bowled by TA Harper – and Cam Steel (5) – pinned lbw AJ Cruickshank, leaving Surrey 46/3 at the ten-over mark.
Stuart Van der Merwe was caught behind off the bowling of DR Shanks for 12 before Josh Blake and Adam Thomas started to rebuild Surrey’s innings. However, the promising partnership of 43 was cut short when Harper claimed his second wicket of the day, bowling over Thomas for 18.
Despite seeing the wickets of Conor McKerr (9), Yousef Majid (11), Matt Dunn (2), and Reece Topley (1) fall, Blake continued to tick along and score a battling half-century, ultimately finishing on 96 not out off 96 balls.
Having scored two centuries and amassed 583 runs at an amazing average of 72.8 in red-ball cricket for the Second XI this year alongside making his senior T20 debut in the Vitality Blast, the 24-year-old is enjoying a brilliant season, and it was a consequence of his efforts that the Three Feathers could push to 216/9 at Woolpit CC.
Topley, bowling for the first time since he sustained an injury during the Indian Premier League, took the new ball along with Majid, and was immediately into the wickets.
Topley got both the openers caught behind the stumps before grabbing the catch of number three BJ Parker off the bowling of Majid for 3, leaving the hosts 20/3.
Wickets continued to tumble until rain interrupted play as McKerr pinned JJ Cantrell lbw for nought before AG Summers was clean bowled by Steel, meaning Suffolk were 33/5 from 14 overs heading into the rain-induced break.
After an hour of no action, play resumed with the target revised to 214 off 44 overs. McKerr picked up from where he left off as he claimed his second wicket, removing Suffolk’s skipper AP Mansfield for 1.
However, soon after, the umpires took the players off the pitch due to rain, and the outcome of the game was decided on the basis of the DLS method, with Surrey winning by 101 runs.
