Consistent Surrey have edge at New Road
Jamie Smith again showed his quality with another good innings for Surrey
- Published
Vitality County Championship D1, Visit Worcestershire New Road (day one)
Surrey 340-5: Lawrence 91*, Smith 86, Sibley 76, Foakes 52; Finch 2-82
Worcestershire: Yet to bat
Worcestershire 1 pt, Surrey 2 pts
It was normal service resumed for leaders and champions Surrey on day one of the County Championship match with Worcestershire at New Road.
Surrey had suffered an innings and 278 runs defeat against Hampshire in their previous Championship fixture, in contrast to their previous four-day form.
But fifties from Dom Sibley and Jamie Smith laid the foundations before Dan Lawrence and Ben Foakes increased the tempo during the final session during a stand of 131 in 35 overs.
Foakes fell just before the close – to a fourth catch for Adam Hose – but Lawrence remained undefeated on 91 from 126 balls.
It was Surrey’s first visit to New Road since they lifted the 2018 title on the ground and they are well placed to post a formidable total on the second day.
Worcestershire captain Brett D’Oliveira was sidelined with a shoulder problem and Jake Libby skippered the side.
Ethan Brookes, Tom Taylor and on-loan Somerset spinner, Shoaib Bashir, all made their Championship debut for the Pears, while Taylor’s younger brother, James, made his first Championship appearance for Surrey since April 2022.
Surrey were put in on a rock hard looking pitch and quickly lost skipper Rory Burns.
Tom Taylor took the new ball and struck with his third ball as Burns turned a delivery straight to Bashir at mid-wicket.
Ollie Pope looked in good form and cover drove Taylor for four and used his feet to turn on-loan Essex seamer Ben Allison to the mid wicket boundary.
But he then gave Allison the charge and nicked through to Adam Hose at first slip.
Allison, signed because of injuries to Joe Leach, Ben Gibbon and Yadvinder Singh, bowled an excellent opening spell of 7-3-10-1.
But Sibley was in excellent touch, straight driving and cover-driving Adam Finch for boundaries, and coming down the wicket to hit Shoaib Bashir down the ground for four after he came into the attack.
Jamie Smith also took advantage of over pitched deliveries from Adam Finch to collective successive boundaries and the 100 came up in just 27.2 overs.
Sibley and Smith reached their respective fifties off 108 and 103 balls respectively and the stand was worth 149 in 40 overs when Bashir broke the stand as the fomer (76) picked out Hose at short mid-wicket.
Smith (86) departed in similar manner with Hose again the catcher after Finch came back into the attack.
Lawrence and Foakes upped the tempo during the final session after playing themselves in up until tea.
Foakes pulled Bashir for a maximum over wide long on before having a let-off on 31 when dropped at deep mid-wicket off Finch.
Lawrence cut Brookes for four to reach a 66-ball fifty and Foakes went to the same landmark from 104 deliveries.
But Finch broke the stand after the second new ball had been taken when Foakes (52) fell to a low catch diving to his right at first slip by Hose.
Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network
