[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

County Championship, Division One

vs Surrey

The Oval, London

Day One

Morning: The Pears won the toss and put Surrey in to bat on a sunny Friday in South London, with a lush green pitch undoubtedly influencing the decision. For the first half-hour it seemed like the wisest choice the skipper has made so far this year, as Worcestershire bulldozed the Surrey top order with the new ball; Nathan Smith got the ball rolling - or swinging, more to the point - after three overs when he came right-arm over the wicket to Rory Burns with a delivery that swerved in to the left-hander, beat his attempted glance across the line, and struck his front pad bang in line with leg-stump for 8. Six balls later Joe Leach then claimed his first of the match as he tempted Dom Sibley into a loose drive with a classic fullish delivery outside off that was caught behind for 2, before seeing off Jamie Smith for a four-ball duck to conclude the over, the young man playing inside a straight, good-length delivery that removed his off-stump. At the beginning of his next over it became three in six balls and a potential hat-trick as the big man perhaps deceived Ben Foakes with a slower one which took the edge and flew to second slip for 1. At 15-4 the hosts were in a deep hole, but you don't become two-time reigning champions on the verge of the title hat-trick without batting a long way down, and Ollie Pope and Dan Lawrence - a frankly absurd partnership to be defending the fifth wicket - guided Surrey to lunch on a considerably healthier 110-4.

Afternoon: The stand was on the verge of 150 when Smith struck with a full-of-a-length ball outside off that tempted the infamous Pope Grope, an ugly half-arsed drive with the bat dangling at an angle and the feet and head nowhere near the line of the ball, which saw the England international deservedly caught behind for a nonetheless excellent 63. Matthew Waite then strode gratefully through the open door to remove Lawrence with an extravagant outswinger that the ex-Essex ace flashed at wildly, caught behind for 84. It was enough to get Waite on a roll, and with two new men at the crease he duly accounted for Sean Abbott with a short ball caught at deep backward square on the pull for 2 and Gus Atkinson pinned plumb LBW for a duck. Ben Gibbon then stepped up to polish off the tail, having Kemar Roach caught behind for 4 and taking off the bails for a comedy run-out of Daniel Worrall for a duck. 213 all out, it seemed a good day's work so far as the sides went in for tea.

Evening: There was always the danger that the Pears would fare no better against a misbehaving ball than Surrey had, and sure enough, under slate skies and floodlights Worcestershire faced a rough final session. Far too many soft dismissals buried the top order, and at 53-5 some resistance from Brett D'Oliveira and Waitey was highly welcome, until the latter perished LBW to Kemar Roach for 35. With seven overs remaining, bad light stopped the Surrey charge and preserved the Pears at 112-7 overnight, still trailing by 101. A serious tail-wag needed on the morrow if Worcs aren't to be turned over by Sunday.