With both teams playing with one hand tied behind their backs due to their ever growing injury lists, it made for an even contest at the Oval yesterday until, that is, Glamorgan’s Darren Thomas pulled up with a groin strain three balls into the 17th over. At that stage Surrey were 63 for two, and with Ramprakash back in the dressing room for next to nothing it could have been last Friday all over again. But, for obvious reasons, the home side wanted no repeat of that. Thanks to hundreds from Newman and Brown, not to mention eye-catching half-centuries from Clarke and Benning, they did not get it.

Glamorgan were already without Maynard, Jones and Wharf when they set off for London. Then, before play started, they lost their leading run-scorer Matthew Elliott to a back spasm, causing replacement opener Dan Cherry to be summoned from South Wales at the eleventh hour. In some ways, therefore, Robert Croft may well have been satisfied when Surrey won the toss and elected to bat.

The visitors proceeded to make a good start thanks to David Harrison, who picked up the wickets of Clinton and Ramprakash in his opening eight-over spell from the Pavilion End. Richard Clinton was caught behind in the fifth over and when Mark Ramprakash chopped the ball on to his stumps six overs later the hosts were in a spot of bother at 25 for two.

But then Rikki Clarke joined Scott Newman at the crease and thereafter Surrey hardly had cause to look back, especially when the Welshmen were reduced to four bowlers.

Clarke wasted no time getting off the mark. Croft, who brought himself on as early as in the twelfth over, disappeared over the mid-wicket fence. Not to be outdone, Newman brought up Surrey’s fifty by driving the off-spinner straight down the ground then on driving him for four.

The Ovalites’ raw third-wicket pair put on 185 in 47 overs. Newman brought up his first half-century of the season in the 23rd over off 69 balls. Clarke, who straight drove with absolute authority in the period before lunch, needed just 51 deliveries to reach the same landmark six overs later. In addition to the six off Croft, his fifty contained ten fours.

Surrey dined on 141 for two. After the interval Newman drove through extra cover off both feet. Clarke, however, was only able to find the boundary once – even then the 23-year-old had the man at mid-off to thank for his gaffe.

The fifth hundred of Scott Newman’s career was came up in 173 deliveries. Five overs later, however, Rikki Clarke fenced at Andrew Davies’s second ball back and was caught behind. Newman departed in the very next over when the Glamorgan skipper managed to somehow navigate a course between bat and pad. The 25-year-old opener’s 117 took 204 minutes and included 21 fours.

Adopting contrasting styles, Jonathan Batty and Alistair Brown set about rebuilding the home side’s first innings. The more tentative Batty, who was dropped on six when he edged Harrison high and to the right of Mark Wallace, played second fiddle until, out of a sense of frustration, he drilled a return catch to Dean Cosker in the second over after tea.

Brown was then joined by James Benning and, together, they added 114 in 18 entertaining overs. Brown, who had just taken 54 balls over his fifty, which included an awesomely on-driven six off Davies, peppered the boundary at cover-point and long-off. Benning, meanwhile, set about proving that his first innings half-century against Nottinghamshire was no one-off. Indeed, come the day that both Butcher and Thorpe are available for selection, it will not be so easy for Surrey to omit the 22-year-old all-rounder.

Benning was caught at deep square leg for a run-a-ball 57. Brown, who gave just one chance, on 107, to first slip off Harrison, brought his hundred up in 95 deliveries and was eventually leg before, playing across the line to Cosker, in the 100th over for 122 off 116 balls, which showcased 21 fours and two sixes.

GO TO:

BACK TO: