Surrey are poised to strengthen their position at the top of the LV= Insurance County Championship after taking 17 Warwickshire wickets on an extraordinary second day at The Kia Oval.
The injury-hit Bears were bowled out for 161 in reply to Surrey’s 396 by an unrelenting seam attack – all of whom have taken their wickets at an average of under 25 this season – led by Kemar Roach (4 for 64) and Dan Worrall (3 for 34).
It scarcely got any better for Warwickshire the second time around as they lurched to 35 for 5. At that stage, Warwickshire were heading for a two-day defeat, but Dan Mousley’s unbeaten 60 helped them avoid that and they closed on 126 for 7, still trailing by 109.
Surrey will look to finish things off tomorrow and complete what would be their first Championship double over Warwickshire since 1957, putting the pressure back on nearest rivals Essex who are playing Middlesex.
In mitigation, Warwickshire have been without three batters – Rob Yates, Alex Davies, and Jacob Bethell – who would have played, but even at full strength it’s debatable whether they could have done too much better against the sustained excellence of Surrey’s attack on a green-tinged pitch offering good pace and carry.
Warwickshire’s day had started well enough as they took the last six wickets for 57 with Ed Barnard (5 for 66) claiming his first five-wicket haul for the county. Surrey even missed out on a fourth batting point when Ben Foakes was last out for a superb 125, caught off a top-edged slop sweep aiming for his 20th boundary.
Surrey’s seamers were soon enjoying helpful conditions themselves, although they benefited from some debatable shot selection as well.
Skipper Will Rhodes, trying to leave a full-length ball, lost his off stump to Worrall in the second over and the pacer then had West Indies Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite – debuting for his fifth county – caught at second slip off an expansive drive in the last over before lunch.
Roach had already castled Barnard and in the over after the resumption he picked up wickets in successive balls, going round the wicket to bowl Mousley via an inside edge before Chris Benjamin was taken at slip to leave Warwickshire tottering on 39 for 5.
There was little respite when Worrall and Roach rested, although Michael Burgess – a former Surrey Academy player – led a recovery of sorts in stands of 40 with Sam Hain and 48 with Danny Briggs. But Clark’s nip-backer accounted for Hain and Burgess was defeated by Worrall’s seam movement just after reaching a composed half-century.
Tom Lawes got in on the act when he picked up the last two wickets and with the innings lasting only 44.3 overs Surrey had no hesitation in making Warwickshire face the music again.
They were soon in trouble with Clark picking up three wickets in 4.2 overs after Roach had bowled three overs from the pavilion end. Brathwaite lost his off stump to Clark’s sixth delivery, Hain was undone by extra bounce and Benjamin fell leg before only half-forward to a ball angled into him.
Worrall proved just as effective in a six-over new-ball burst that brought him 2 for 15. Rhodes was caught behind aiming a big drive and Barnard drove loosely to cover and Warwickshire were staring down the barrel again.
But Mousley and Burgess put on 75 with few alarms before Roach returned to bowl Burgess through the gate and Worrall squared up Briggs with the first ball of his second spell.
“Hard work in the morning should get the job done.”
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) September 4, 2023
A hectic day at The Kia Oval with five wickets for the 👑 back in the Three Feathers.
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