If wickets were the order of the day for Surrey at The Kia Oval, then runs were the order of the day at Taunton Vale as Surrey’s second XI were 391/4 at stumps
Josh Blake and Stuart van der Merwe both scored centuries as Surrey ended the first day in Taunton on 391/4.
Captain Ben Geddes won the toss and elected to bat. Arjun Gill was the first Surrey player to depart after being caught behind by keeper Thomas Rew off the bowling of Ned Leonard for 9. Geddes and Josh Blake took the score to 60 before Geddes departed for 34 off the bowling of James Theedom.
Blake was it his fluent best, scoring boundaries with relative ease against a youthful Somerset attack. Krish Patel made 29 before he was caught at first slip by Archie Vaughan off the bowling of Ned Leonard to leave Surrey 147/3.
Stuart van der Merwe came to the crease under the Somerset sunshine and immediately looked to score runs. The pair shared 137 for the fourth wicket with Blake reaching three figures from 147 balls. Blake eventually departed for 126 from 192 deliveries as he was bowled by left arm spinner Josh Thomas with the score on 284.
Van der Merwe continued, reaching his century with a lovely back foot punch into the offside for four. Stuart reached three figures from 168 balls. He and Ollie Sykes put on 100 for the fifth wicket before Surrey ended the day on 391/4, with Sykes 37 not out and van der Merwe impressively on 123 not out.
