Short changed by Surrey

posted by John Winn

Early morning mist had cleared yesterday by the time I reached York Station to take the 8:40 train to Manchester Piccadilly and thence by tram to Old Trafford. I had last visited the home of Lancashire CCC in 2014 when a day at the England India test match had been cut short by a storm. By way of contrast yesterday was sunny enough for the sun hat and slap to be prudent and I took my seat in plenty of time to see Lancs' tenth wicket pair continue their first innings.

I had settled among the same group of Surrey supporters as at Headingley two weeks ago and they were hoping for a quick wrap up of Lancashire's innings and like me they expected much of the day and even beyond to be spent watching their team bat. Jarvis and Kerrigan had other ideas however and extended their stand to 63 and securing a fourth batting point before the former was caught behind off Meaker.

Curran (T) who was promoted to makeshift opener in the absence of Burns, injured in the field on Monday, a move that did not sit well with my Surrey chums who felt he had merited more than ten minutes rest after bowling 35 overs In the event it was the regular opener Harinath who was first to go followed shortly afterwards by Sangakkara at 46 for 2.

Whatever was served at lunch did Surrey no good at all for
Curran was the boy on the burning deck whence Roy, Foakes, Burke, Davies, Batty and Pillans fled in haste, a procession which was deemed 'our worst batting performance for years' by Camberley man. Meaker held out for 22 balls, his stand with Curran was the second highest of the innings, long enough for TC to reach his fifty and become last man out when well caught by Proctor off Wagner. Hero for Lancs was Jarvis with 11 wickets in the match and victory by an innings and 96 runs sent the red rose to the top of the table where they will be whatever the outcome of events at Edgbaston this morning, which sets up Sunday's Roses' clash at Headingley very nicely.

Surrey's rapid demise meant the game finished at precisely three o'clock leaving my friends from the Oval who were committed to staying overnight and me, booked on 17:55 train, feeling rather short changed. With both Alec Stewart and Michael di Venuto in attendance there were likely to be some harsh words spoken in the visitors' dressing room with Surrey winless and one third of their championship matches completed.