NOTTS FORCED TO FOLLOW ON DURING SECOND DAY AT SURREY

Nottinghamshire have work to do if they are to avoid defeat against Surrey at the Kia Oval, after being made to follow-on during the last session of the second day.

Bowled out for only 101 in their first innings, Notts fared better second time around but will start the third day still 191 runs behind after closing on 83 for two.

Earlier, Mark Stoneman was ninth out, having made 144, as Surrey’s first innings eventually realised 375 runs.

Stoneman batted for over seven hours and hit 18 fours, before falling to Luke Wood, who took three for 66.

The day began with Surrey resuming on 256 for six, with Stoneman unbeaten on his overnight score of 99.

The former Durham batsman eased to his 22nd first class hundred as he cut the fifth ball of Harry Gurney’s opening over to the cover fence.

His fifth ton for Surrey had occupied 196 balls and contained 13 boundaries.

Tom Curran, who had been undefeated on 12 at the end of the first day, went after his shots as the home side enjoyed a productive first half hour.

The seventh wicket partnership continued to blossom until reaching 84, at which point Curran pulled Matt Milnes into the hands of Billy Root at long leg.

From 309 for six, the hosts were then reduced to 315 for eight when Morne Morkel fended Gurney down into the hands of Milnes, also at long leg.

When Stoneman had faced his 255th delivery it set a new benchmark for his longest first class innings but he came unstuck against his 260th; chasing Wood and edging behind.

Conor McKerr made sure a fourth batting point was claimed for the Division One leaders, before he and Amar Virdi had some fun with an unorthodox last wicket stand of 35.

Virdi heaved Samit Patel over the ropes for six to reach a career best score of 19 but was then comprehensively bowled looking for a repeat.

Notts began their first innings after lunch and in the 190-minute period before tea lost seven wickets.

Ben Slater, on debut, was first to go for nine. The left-hander clipped his second ball to the fence but then edged Curran to second slip. Rikki Clarke fumbled the offering but managed to parry, at the second attempt, the ball into the gloves of ‘keeper Ben Foakes.

Curran, bowling a testing early spell from the Pavilion End, then had Kraigg Brathwaite lbw for two and Jake Libby caught at slip for 12.

Morkel pinned Samit Patel for five and also had Wood caught behind for eight, whilst McKerr removed Root (6) and Riki Wessels (12).

At the start of the final session, with 44 overs remaining in the day, Notts were still 287 runs adrift.

Tom Moores had shown some resistance with a range of unorthodox strokes but he was eighth out when flashing at McKerr for 29, after a stand of 21 with Luke Fletcher.

Without any further addition Notts were all out, sliding from 101 for seven to 101 all out as Curran removed both Fletcher (9) and Gurney (0).

Exactly three hours after they had started the first innings, Brathwaite and Slater walked out to begin Nottinghamshire’s second innings, 274 behind.

The openers added 41 before Slater (21) nicked McKerr to second slip, where Clarke took a sharp catch above his head.

Brathwaite and Libby then dug in for an hour, adding 37 runs before Surrey made their final strike of a long day.

Amar Virdi, into the attack for the first time, gained a leg before verdict to send Libby back for 17.
Patel, 4, and Brathwaite, 39, hung around until play was called off at 7.05pm with seven overs left unbowled.

************

Nottinghamshire memberships for the 2019 season are now on sale. Watch every Notts scheduled home game and a whole host of prestitigious perks including priority access to international tickets by clicking here...