Surrey blew Warwickshire’s batting away to seal a nine-wicket victory on the third day of their LV=Insurance County Championship match at Edgbaston.
It was pretty much the perfect day for Rory Burns’ side. First, in reply to 150, the tail wagged to add 70 in ten overs and lift the total to 281 thanks to Jamie Smith’s excellent 88 (150 balls) and a merry 35 (24) by tail-ender Dan Worrall.
Then Warwickshire’s top order was blown away by Kemar Roach (five for 34). A first innings lead of 131 appeared decisive on a pitch helpful to seamers and so it proved as the home side went into lunch on 22 for four, Roach having taken three for nine.
There was no way back from there despite Ed Barnard’s resolute 49 (74 balls) – his best score for Warwickshire.
Surrey knocked off the required 11 runs in two overs to complete a superb team performance led by pacemen Roach and Worrall who took a combined 15 for 160 in the match. The powerhouse display sent out a strident message to counties eyeing up a challenge for Surrey’s title. If last week’s emphatic victory over a strong Hampshire unit was a statement of intent from the champions, then this win over a Warwickshire side which had started the season very brightly was another.
After Surrey resumed on the third morning on 211 for eight, their script when perfectly to plan as they attached judiciously. Worrall hit effectively while Smith’s high-class innings peaked after the Australia departed with glorious successive sixes over long on off Chris Rushworth.
The voracious tail-wagging earned Surrey seven overs with the new ball at Warwickshire’s second innings before lunch and they took rapacious advantage of them. Roach lunched on three for nine after Rob Yates and Sam Hain edged into the cordon and Will Rhodes fell lbw. Worrall added the wicket of Alex Davies, caught at fourth slip before Roach’s dismissal of Rhodes, with the last ball of the session, rounded off a perfect morning for the visitors.
Their afternoon started pretty well too as Dan Mousley and Michael Burgess perished to edges to leave Warwickshire 39 for six. Barnard and Chris Woakes added 30 before the latter’s off-stump was knocked out by a beauty from Jordan Clark.
Rushworth dented Roach’s figures slightly with a couple of luscious cover-driven fours to take Warwickshire to the 131 required to make Surrey bat again, but Barnard edged Worrall behind and the last act of a match to forget for Warwickshire was a comical run out.
Surrey march on Warwickshire must regroup ahead of their visit to Hampshire next week.
"I think it's the best I've seen him play, against a very high class attack... it just shows how good he can be."
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) April 29, 2023
High praise from Gareth Batty for Jamie Smith's important knock.
The head coach spoke to @backandacross at the end of play.
🤎 | #SurreyCricket pic.twitter.com/fAn9SCPzyi
