Surrey will return for the second day of their Rothesay County Championship match with Essex in need of early wickets after the Three Feathers were bowled out for 183 at Chelmsford
Dan Worrall got the early wicket of Paul Walter before bad light forced an early finish with Essex 10/1.
Sam Cook, substituting in for Charlie Bennett from the XI that started a day shorn of 36 overs by heavy rain, extracted swing and bounce off a typical Chelmsford green-tinged wicket. Ollie Pope came in for Nikhil Gorantia, who was thereby denied an active part in what would have been his first-class debut.
Cook was straight into the attack when he appeared on the pitch an hour after a start delayed until 1.30pm. He needed just 10 deliveries to announce his arrival. Dom Sibley was all at sea as he nicked behind one that swung into him. Cook’s initial six-over burst contained four maidens and just eight runs conceded.
It was a tad unfortunate on the withdrawn Bennett, who had built up a head of steam in the three overs he managed to squeeze in before his departure.
Surrey had already lost Rory Burns by the time of Cook’s entrance, lbw to one from Jamie Porter that jagged into his back pad, and were soon to lose Blake, caught at second slip aiming a drive through the covers. Ben Foakes lasted three balls before he was pinned lbw for a second wicket in eight deliveries for Shane Snater and a third for Essex in 14.
Pope had to sit padded up for 17 overs before he strode to the wicket as Adam Thomas and Mahipal Lomror put on 52 for the fifth wicket. But to the first ball after tea, Lomror turned Cook to square leg, took one comfortable run and wanted a second that Thomas patently didn’t. A relay of throws from Ahkter to Michael Pepper to the non-striker’s end completed the reckless run-out.
Thomas followed almost immediately, playing loosely at Cook to third slip. Pope played all around a delivery from Akhter that kept low and Fisher played the same bowler airily to mid-on. Rahul Chahar became Cook’s third victim, chipping another catch to Westley, and Tom Lawes was the last of Akhter’s trio after a battling 38 with eight fours.
