Gloucestershire edge day for bowlers
Fourteen wickets fell as Gloucestershire enjoyed the better of the opening day exchanges in their County Championship trip to the Oval where the visitors closed on 171 for 4 in reply to Surrey's 225 all out
19-Jun-2011
Fourteen wickets fell as Gloucestershire enjoyed the better of the opening day exchanges in their County Championship trip to the Oval where the visitors closed on 171 for 4 in reply to Surrey's 225 all out. But for Zander de Bruyn's responsible 66 from 90 deliveries Surrey might already be ruing preparing a green, seamer-friendly pitch.
The South African found useful lower order allies in Yasir Arafat and Jade Dernbach as the hosts edged to one bonus batting point under leaden skies. When the clouds dispersed in late afternoon the Gloucestershire batsmen, led by Chris Taylor (52), were rewarded for demonstrating far greater resolve.
Having been invited to bat Surrey's positive approach against the moving ball initially misfired as Rory Hamilton-Brown perished in the third over attempting to clip Jon Lewis through midwicket.
However, an entertaining stand of 57 in 12 overs between Jason Roy and Mark Ramprakash saw Surrey seize the initiative.
Roy found the boundary on six occasions in addition to flicking Lewis over midwicket for six only for Gloucestershire to fight back by having Roy caught behind off Ian Saxelby for 40. With Will Gidman striking twice in the space of seven deliveries to prize out Ramprakash, caught at second slip, then Steven Davies, who edged behind when glancing, the visitors went into lunch with a spring in their step.
Gloucestershire continued their fightback after lunch when Tom Maynard was brilliantly caught in front of first slip by Richard Coughtrie off the second ball of the afternoon session to leave Surrey 101 for 5. It became 108 for 6 when, following a short break for rain, David Payne trapped Gareth Batty leg before with an inswinger.
During an exhilarating passage of play de Bruyn forged productive alliances with Arafat and Dernbach to edge Surrey into the ascendancy. Arafat's 44 came in just 47 deliveries to overtake de Bruyn and bring up the 50 stand for the seventh wicket. Three overs later, de Bruyn went to his half-century off 73 balls, though not before Arafat had been caught at second slip. Dernbach lifted Lewis over long-on for six as he and de Bruyn then added 43 in seven overs.
Dernbach was eventually bagged at first slip and, in the next over, de Bruyn went for 66 when he drove a full toss straight to point. Saxelby drew a line under Surrey's first innings and finished with 4 for 73 by having Tim Linley caught at second slip.
Gloucestershire quickly shrugged off the early loss of Chris Dent, caught behind off Linley in the third over. It needed a superb delivery from Dernbach to see the back of Kane Williamson.
Hamish Marshall, who was dropped on 19 and 33, and Chris Taylor, also fell victim to balls that appeared to keep low.
Taylor, however, led from the front with a responsible 52 off 70 balls, and Alex Gidman batted equally sensibly to put their side within 54 runs of Surrey by the close.
