Match report day 3: Lancs v Surrey in Championship 2003 by Neil Adams

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Scorecard:

Lancashire v Surrey

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Summary for Day 3

This will probably go down as the day when Surrey lost the championship title race to Sussex. The visitors were unable to combat difficult playing conditions and high quality bowling and found themselves on the brink of defeat by the close of play. The match was delayed by 45 minutes due to bad and rain. Jonathan Batty soon found himself back in the pavilion after facing just 9 balls - the first time he had departed the field of play since the match started. Ward and Clarke followed shortly after to leave Surrey on 23 for 3. Alistair Brown survived a hat-trick ball of a different kind (See below) as Surrey recovered to 93 for 3 in the 29th over. As the sky darkened, so did Surrey's prospects of winning the game. Keedy removed 4 players 22 minutes to leave Surrey on 122 for 8. Steady rain fell from 3.20pm onward to temporarily save the current champions from defeat, but with one more day to play, there will be nowhere to hide!

 

Bowling Performance of the Day

Peter Martin instigated Surrey's initial demise by taking 2 wickets in the space of 15 balls (Ward and Batty). He finished the day with 2 for 20 from 11 overs. John Wood captured the priceless wicket of Graham Thorpe shortly after lunch for 38. Wood has developed a clever knack of removing the oppositions' danger man (Maddy/Hodge at Leicester - Goodwin at Sussex). However, Lancashire's star bowler of the day was Gary Keedy. He ripped the heart out of Surrey's middle order with a devastating spell of bowling in the afternoon session. At one stage, Keedy removed four wickets in the space of 12 deliveries for just four runs. This included 2 wickets in the space of 2 balls. He failed to attain the hat-trick, but managed another success just 4 balls later. Keedy seemed to gain significant turn from the wicket, whereas Saqlain and Salisbury appeared to struggle on the second day. Keedy finished the day with figures of 4 for 56 from 14 overs - a match winning spell!

 

Batting Performance of the Day

Alistair Brown batted from 89 balls (6 x 4 & 1 x 6). He was eventually the eighth man out for 61 runs when he chopped Gary Keedy's delivery into his off stump. Thorpe scored 38 runs from 69 balls (4 x 4), but no other Surrey player survived greater than 27 deliveries. The rest of the team only managed 3 x 4 & 1 x 6 between them. Thorpe and Brown added 70 runs for the fourth wicket - the only true partnership/resilience shown on the third day

 

Fielding Performance of the Day

A solid performance in the field. No missed opportunities - even Stuart Law held a catch at first slip (His first in 5 attempts from a spinner). Chilton held Ward at third slip and Law held Batty at first slip for nought. The finest piece of fielding came from Peter Martin in the 32nd over. Mahmood had just struck Keedy for six over the long-on boundary - 2 balls later he tried to repeat this feat. Unfortunately for Surrey, he never timed the ball properly. Martin moved in quickly from long-off as the ball appeared to be falling slightly short. Martin held the ball tightly as he fell to his knees - his team mates all ran over to congratulate him while Mahmood bowed his head in disbelief and shame

 

Highlights of the Day

• The fact that 42 overs play was completed bearing in mind the extremely poor light. The umpires never appeared to consult Surrey's batsmen at any time during play. One can only assume that Surrey captain Adam Hollioake had instructed the umpires before the start of play that he did not wish to accept bad light under any circumstances - all credit to him for trying to force a victory but it clearly backfired
• Gary Keedy's fantastic spell of bowling
• Only conceding 1 extra in 137 runs that was a leg-bye!
• Reducing Surrey to the brink of their first defeat of the championship season

 

Lowlights of the Day

• The great British weather!
• The reversal of Brown's initial dismissal (See below)
• Gary Keedy narrowly failing to gain a "hat-trick" of his own
• Wishing that the early season rain had not prevented Lancashire from collecting at least 2 or 3 other victories - potential victory over Surrey would have offered Lancashire every chance of winning the title

 

Contentious Discussion Point of the Day

In the 11th over of the day, a superb delivery from Peter Martin appeared to brush a part of Ally Brown as it travelled through to Warren Hegg. The Lancashire team immediately celebrated the wicket and umpire Leadbeater confirmed the appeal by raising his finger. However, Brown refused to walk. He claimed the ball had struck his helmet and not his bat handle. Leadbeater moved into the middle of the wicket and held a brief discussion with Brown. A few seconds later, he reversed his decision to give Brown not out. Lancashire's players accepted the decision without argument, the crowd were not impressed. Although the umpire showed that he possessed the nerve to correct his error, I believe that this stance by Brown sets a dangerous precedence (See day 4 report - contentious discussion point)

 

Key Notes of the Day

• Start delayed until 11.45am due to rain and bad light - 12 overs lost
• Batty caught Law bowled Martin 0 - 1 for 1 in the 3rd over - Ward 1*
• Ward caught Chilton bowled Martin 3 - 10 for 2 in the 7th over - Thorpe 6*
• Clarke lbw bowled Chapple 1 - 23 for 3 in the 10th over - Thorpe 18*
• Brown 3 adjudged out by umpire Leadbeater but then given a reprieve - 26 for 3 in the 11th over
• 53 for 3 in the 18th over - Thorpe 30* Brown 18*
• Lunch - 57 for 3 from 21 overs - Thorpe 32* Brown 20* - Lead by 53 runs
• 50 partnership - 73 for 3 in the 24th over - Thorpe 35* Brown 33*
• 50 Brown from 70 balls (5 x 4 & 1 x 6) - 93 for 3 in the 29th over - Thorpe 38*
• Thorpe caught Hegg bowled Wood 38 - 93 for 4 in the 29th over - Brown 50*
• 101 for 4 in the 31st over - Brown 56* Azhar Mahmood 2*
• Azhar Mahmood caught Martin bowled Keedy 8 - 108 for 5 in the 32nd over - Brown 57*
• Hollioake caught Law bowled Keedy 8 - 119 for 6 in the 34th over - Brown 60*
• Salisbury caught Hegg bowled Keedy (First ball) 0 - 119 for 7 in the 34th over - Brown 60*
• Brown bowled Keedy (Played-on) 61 - 122 for 8 in the 36th over - Saqlain 2*
• Rain stop play 3.20pm - 137 for 8 from 42 overs - Saqlain 11* Ormond 6*
• No further play possible due to persistent rain
• Lancashire 6 points, Surrey 6 points

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 Neil Adams http://www.cricketimages.co.uk/adams-report/intro.html)