Vaas too good for Surrey batsmen
Former Sri Lanka seamer Chaminda Vaas took four wickets for County Championship Division Two leaders Northamptonshire on the first day of their match against Surrey at Wantage Road
31-Aug-2011
Former Sri Lanka seamer Chaminda Vaas took four wickets for County
Championship Division Two leaders Northamptonshire on the first day of their
match against Surrey at Wantage Road.
Surrey wicketkeeper Steven Davies made 81 off 157 balls, including 12 fours, as
Surrey were bowled out for 269, with Zander de Bruyn also plundering 58 off 132
deliveries.
Wickets fell at regular intervals as Vaas took figures of four for 57 for the
hosts, who then closed on 4-0 after surviving the remaining five overs
unscathed. Surrey won the toss and chose to bat but lost captain Rory Hamilton-Brown
cheaply for just 13 when he smashed Vaas to Stephen Peters, who took a head-high
catch at cover.
Davies and veteran Mark Ramprakash then survived the rest of a relatively quiet
morning session to reach lunch on 86 for 1. Davies completed a patient half-century off 128 balls in the fifth over of the afternoon as he and Ramprakash added 65 between them for the second wicket.
This stand was ended when Ramprakash, after making 30, had his leg stump
uprooted by David Burton, who is playing in the County Championship for the
first time this season. Davies eventually perished when he edged Northamptonshire captain Andrew Hall's delivery and Alex Wakely took a low catch in front of him at first slip.
Tom Maynard made only seven before playing loosely at Hall and was caught
behind by Northamptonshire and Ireland wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien. Jason Roy was then given a huge let-off on 12 when Rob Newton dropped a simple chance, which was drilled straight to him at mid-off off the bowling of Hall.
The visitors reached tea on 200 for 4 but Roy departed in the fourth over of
the evening for 31 when he was given what looked a harsh lbw off Burton. James Middlebrook picked up his first wicket when he trapped his fellow spinner, former England international Gareth Batty, lbw for nine.
South African De Bruyn hung around to go past 50 off 117 balls but he fell when
he edged Vaas to O'Brien. Stuart Meaker made just a single before nudging Middlebrook to Hall at slip in the next over, and Vaas then ended the Surrey innings by pinning both Chris
Jordan (three) and Tim Linley (16) lbw.
Northamptonshire openers Newton and Kyle Coetzer survived until the close with
both of them resuming on one tomorrow.
