Cameron Steel and Jamie Smith impressed with the bat on day one of Surrey’s pre-season fixture with Middlesex
With a precarious weather forecast for the coming days, Surrey and Middlesex pre-agreed to bat for 45 overs on day one, with Surrey batting first.
Openers Rory Burns and Dom Sibley opened the Surrey batting under gloomy South London skies. Burns was removed early. However, the returning Sibley scored 28 on his Surrey return.
Ryan Patel scored 14 at number three before departing. Jamie Smith scored 42 for Surrey with an array of beautiful strokes. Cameron Steel and Jordan Clark put on 72 for the fifth wicket before the latter was trapped lbw to Ethan Bamber.
Surrey ended their pre-agreed 45 overs on 190/5 declared, with Cameron Steel top scoring with 45 not out and Ben Geddes ending 11 not out.
Ethan Bamber was the pick of the bowlers for the visitors, taking the wickets of Dom Sibley and Jordan Clark. Tim Murtagh, Toby Roland-Jones, Tom Helm and Ryan Higgins took a wicket each.
Surrey struggled to make the breakthrough after the interval, with Middlesex ending the afternoon session on 56/0.
Tom Lawes took the first Surrey wicket of the year when he got Sam Robson caught behind by Jamie Smith for 31 in the 21st over.
Surrey struggled to make the second breakthrough as Stoneman (67 not out) and Malan (43) kept the Surrey bowlers at bay.
Play will resume at 11am tomorrow for the second day of this three day clash.
A full scorecard can be found here.
