It’s pretty rare that a batter gets out on 99, but two in an innings in the same day is rarer still. (Despite the wet I did see a few fans enjoying ice creams…a pair of 99s with a flake?!)
In test cricket you have to go back to 1973 in Karachi for the only innings with two individual 99 and outs. Majid Khan and Mushtaq Mohammad, of course one being a (potentially nervy) run out.
Tom Latham and Will Jacks were the two unlucky batters today, both looking in fine touch beforehand as they put on 123 for the fifth wicket.
To make matters worse for Somerset and Craig Overton specifically, he was the only centurion in this match so far, his 22 overs going for 106 with no wickets to lessen the pain for also dropping his twin brother (who went on to hit 42 and smashed a window in the Colin Atkinson Pavilion.)
Jamie Overton batted well for his 42, and proved why all Somerset and Surrey fans in the know believe he would have added to his one test cap in the Ashes first test ahead of Josh Tongue had he been fully fit to bat and bowl then.
Surrey are a serious outfit who bat all the way down, and when they get down to the lower order they trust each other with the strike, ‘senior batters’ do not feel the need to protect their ‘lesser’ counterparts. Gus Atkinson has batted across Surrey’s tail-end, and he looked comfortable enough striking 39* even against the T20 Blast winning opening bowling attack with a new Dukes ball.
Yesterday Craig Overton was announced as a new Riser, a wildcard player for Sunrisers Eastern Cape-the South African T20 side that Tom Abell and Roelof van der Merwe also played for back in January.
It was also today announced that Ben Green will not be Metro Bank One-Day Cup captain as he has been called elsewhere in August, so Somerset will miss nine of their first-choice players for the 50-over format that England won the World Cup in in 2019…and will attempt to defend in India in October…
Latham edged Kasey Aldridge’s second ball of the day behind when on 78, at 11.30am, but could not be held-this one of very few half chances/sniffs of a sign of Somerset dismissing the kiwi southpaw. Aldridge only managed 9.4 overs before trotting off with a side strain, his frustration showing as he swished his jumper at the Colin Atkinson Pavilion entrance.
Craig Overton showed more and more frustration, a whole-hearted cricketer who wears his heart on his sleeve, trying to bowl harder and harder, and though he did bowl some jaffas, unfortunate to take an edge, he also bowled a five-no-balls and a few wayward deliveries that were taken to.
Jacks reached his 50 off 73 balls with ten fours, getting there with a driven four just past Tom Lammonby at short extra cover off Shoaib Bashir. It was not until after lunch that he went into his famous T10/T20 mode (look up his preseason knock out in the middle east a few years ago) … he hit Green to Abell at point just before the 300 was brought up.
Surrey’s 350 came up in the 86th over-plenty of time left for them to add 100 more in 24 overs-definitely not past their seam-bowling allrounders who can all clear the rope, but they fell short.
Atkinson finished 39*, Tom Lawes 1. Matt Henry earning his 6-80 just as the rain descended amidst bad, floodlight-enhanced light too. 15.12 saw the ground staff bring the covers on rapidly as an early tea was sensibly taken and inevitably play was called off as the rain began to fall and never stopped.
