Asa Tribe scored a maiden Division One hundred as Glamorgan stunned Surrey by reaching 339 for five in their second innings – an overall lead of 356 – on day two at the Kia Oval
Tribe, the 22-year old England Lions batsman who was born and raised in Jersey, reached 142 not out as he, Kiran Carlson and Ben Kelleway piled on the runs for Surrey on a pitch on which an extraordinary 20 wickets had fallen 24 hours earlier.
Both Glamorgan and Surrey, bowled out for 132 and 115 respectively on the opening day, are still not safe from the threat of relegation – Glamorgan more so than Surrey – giving a real edge to a fascinating Rothesay County Championship contest that took an utterly unpredictable twist after the Welsh county had resumed only 47 ahead on 30 without loss.
For Tribe it was a fifth first-class century and for Glamorgan captain Carlson, who had scored only 17 runs from his previous seven championship innings – with four ducks – it was a welcome and timely return to form with 57 from 114 balls.
Carlson, often getting on and outside his off stump and leaving whenever possible, helped to add 114 in 32 overs for the third wicket with Tribe.
And Kellaway, looking composed and confident from the start of his innings, then added a further 80 in 25 overs for Glamorgan’s fourth wicket as Surrey huffed and puffed for little reward on a surface that visibly eased as day two progressed.
Kellaway’s 43 was ended by a juggling second slip catch by Adam Thomas off Tom Lawes, and Thomas then claimed his seventh catch of the game by holding on to another edge when Billy Root (11) fended at a Worrall short one.
But by stumps Tribe, showing remarkable concentration across the day, had batted for seven hours, facing 305 balls and hitting 15 fours and he walked off to deserved applause alongside Chris Cooke, who was unbeaten on 14.
Tribe began the day on eight and he and fellow opener Zain ul-Hassan eventually took their partnership to 87 – the first half-century stand of the match – before Ul-Hassan was leg-before to James Taylor for 33.
Taylor, who came into the game as a substitute for groin injury victim Matt Fisher late on day one, then quickly added the wicket of Jack Hope-Bell, caught at second slip for five, to keep Surrey in the fight.
Tribe, despite being beaten on multiple occasions by Worrall’s away swing, showed massive self-discipline to battle his way through to 44 by lunch – which Glamorgan took 132 runs on at 115 for two.
And then, in the first half-hour after the interval, Tribe and Carlson began to take the game away from Surrey as their stand accelerated against some indifferent bowling.
Tribe – after a couple of twos off Lawrence – took the boundary that completed his half-century.
And, against Lawes at the other end, he first square cut him for four before plundering successive boundaries and a three from the young Surrey paceman’s next over to race to 69.
Carlson, for his part, greeted Taylor’s re-introduction by twice extra cover driving him for fours to push Glamorgan past 150 and – when Thomas’s occasional medium-pace was tried – flicked successive boundaries to fine leg to bring up both his own fifty and his team’s 200.
It took a brilliant goalkeeper-style catch high to his right at slip from Thomas to get rid of Carlson, with Lawes getting a bit of extra lift to find the edge of an attempted back-foot force, but by tea Kelleway had gone to 25 and Glamorgan’s lead was 270.
