A smashing bowling performance from Surrey saw them claim 14 Middlesex wickets on day three, placing the Three Feathers on the cusp of victory in this London Derby at Lord’s.
Seamers Sean Abbott, Jamie Overton, and Tom Lawes collected three wickets apiece as the hosts crumbled from their overnight 179-5 to 238 all out in their first innings; John Simpson making 60 and Josh De Caires 30 not out. The latest collapse means they have been able to gather only two batting bonus points out of 45 so far this season.
Behind by 195 runs and following on, stand-in skipper Mark Stoneman led the resistance with 72, but others came and went, before a career-best 46 not out for Ethan Bamber ensured there would be a fourth day.
Nevertheless, Abbott (three for 60) bowled De Caires with what proved the last ball of the day to leave Middlesex 272-9, a lead of only 77, meaning Surrey could wrap up their sixth win of the season tomorrow.
If the home side were to save the follow-on much depended on Simpson continuing his resistance from day two, but the half-centurion added only five before edging one from Lawes (three for 57) down the leg-side to a diving Ben Foakes, who showed nimble footwork to cover great ground and make a difficult catch look relatively simple.
"Foakes has taken a worldie behind the stumps!" 🎙️👊
🤎 | #SurreyCricket https://t.co/9IORBToVU4 pic.twitter.com/XU9NlSUdj2
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) July 21, 2023
Nightwatch Bamber was undone by extra bounce from Overton (three for 45) and looped a catch off the leading edge back to the bowler, who then castled the in-form Ryan Higgins for three.
The piece of theatre in the morning was provided by Tom Latham as he pulled off a reflex grab at slip after Will Jacks in the gully had twice parried an edge from the bat of Tom Helm.
🎬 Double-act in the slips 😮
On the second attempt, Will Jacks parries the ball to Tom Latham to complete an incredible catch off the bowling of Tom Lawes!
🤎 | #SurreyCricket https://t.co/jiy1EpIygf pic.twitter.com/gKpLsypKqD
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) July 21, 2023
The fact Middlesex clawed their way to 238 was down to De Caires, who as an opener by trade. He struck a six into the Tavern Stand and protected Tim Murtagh so that the pair added 38 for the tenth wicket. However, Abbott (three for 37) found the final breakthrough when he uprooted Murtagh’s middle stump.
The championship leaders then enforced the follow-on and struck with the second ball when Dan Worrall squared up Pieter Malan and crashed his stumps with a beauty of an outswinger.
Fellow opener Stoneman adopted a more positive approach, hitting four successive boundaries off Jordan Clark’s first over as the hosts got through to lunch without further loss of wickets.
In the afternoon session, Stoneman continued to attack and Sam Robson looked organised in defence, but shortly after driving Abbott for his only boundary, the latter prodded the same bowler into the glue-like hands of Latham to end the stand at 65.
Stoneman’s eighth four raised his fifty from 57 balls, only for him to play a shot too many and lift a Lawes delivery into the hands of Overton on the mid-wicket fence.
By that stage, Jack Davies had come and gone and when Simpson was caught behind by Foakes at 127-5 the prospect of an innings defeat loomed large, though it was ultimately avoided.
Cameos by Holden and Higgins came close to achieving parity. De Caires and Bamber, then further frustrated the Surrey bowlers with a stand of 64, two sixes, the second assisted by four overthrows helping the latter to his career-best.
