Bowlers knock over Surrey top-order twice to round off encouraging friendly

Henry Crocombe was one of three Sussex bowlers to take three wickets on Tuesday

Sussex followed an excellent effort with the bat by taking twelve wickets on the second and final day of their pre-season friendly against Surrey at the Kia Oval on Tuesday.

A young attack missing Ollie Robinson, Stuart Meaker and Mitch Claydon dismissed Surrey’s top-order twice as the home side could only muster 284 runs in just shy of the 90 overs allocated to them on day two.

With the luxury of Sussex’s 382 for 5 declared on the scoreboard, first-year pros Sean Hunt and Henry Crocombe extracted significant swing from the new ball by bowling an aggressive, full length.

Despite being hit for two boundaries in his first over, Surrey academy product Hunt was brave enough to stick with such a plan and was rewarded in his second over when the ball swung late, took Mark Stoneman’s edge and offered a comfortable catch for Stiaan van Zyl at first slip.

That began a top-order procession that saw the home side lose six wickets for 30 runs. Crocombe dismissed Ryan Patel for a duck with an inswinging beauty that crashed into the pads directly in front of the stumps, before striking again in his next over when he lured former Sussex man Laurie Evans into a loose drive that carried to Delray Rawlins in the covers to make it 31 for 3.

.@henry_crocombe with a fantastic delivery! 🔥

Ryan Patel is trapped LBW for a duck. [25-2] #gosbts pic.twitter.com/MFSQadIvua

— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) March 30, 2021

Surrey could only manage five runs from the next 33 balls and the pressure told when George Garton converted his third over into a double-wicket maiden with the wickets of Will Jacks and Jordan Clark, both for nought.

We can't keep up... brilliant stuff from Sussex this morning! 😅@George_Garton gets his second in three balls! Jordan Clark's LBW for nought. [36-5] #gosbts pic.twitter.com/kfUSaOasFR

— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) March 30, 2021

Garton had his third when a pacy delivery passed the outside edge of a leaden-footed Jamie Overton and clipped the top of off-stump to leave Surrey reeling at 48 for 6.

Just 90 minutes after they first made their way to the middle, openers Jamie Smith, unbeaten on eight, and Mark Stoneman, back at the crease for a second attempt, were reunited.

They added 35 for the seventh wicket, but Smith’s resolve was ended when Sean Hunt had him caught in the slips in the first over of his second spell.

Back out after lunch and back in the wickets! 🙌@SeanHunt139 takes his second against his former club as Jamie Smith is well caught by @George_Garton for 33. [83-7] #gosbts pic.twitter.com/b5bxx9voBj

— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) March 30, 2021

Ryan Patel fell cheaply for a second time when he cut Jack Carson straight to Tom Clark at gully. The off-spinner bowled with superb control during an opening eight-over spell which cost just seven runs. There was also decent turn for the Northern Irishman, especially given that it is still March.

Surrey’s ninth wicket went down when Laurie Evans’ second, more watchful dig ended on 36 when he charged past Rawlins’ left-arm spin and left Ben Brown to complete the easiest of stumpings.  

Evans is out for the second time today, stumped by @Ben_Brown26 ⚡️

Surrey are now 163-9, with Stoneman and Jacks back at the crease. #gosbts pic.twitter.com/2f5eFonyPr

— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) March 30, 2021

The Londoners would have been all out for 174 in ordinary circumstances when Will Jacks offered van Zyl his second slip catch of the day and became Carson’s second victim. This being a pre-season friendly, however, Surrey batted on.

The left-handed Stoneman was making a better fist of things second time round before he was bowled round his legs by Carson for 70, the young spinner eventually finishing the day with 3 for 34 from his 14 overs.

Crocombe joined Carson and Garton on three wickets when he took the 12th and final wicket of the day, Rikki Clarke caught by Carson on the mid-wicket fence for 40, thereby bringing to an end a 97-run partnership between the veteran and Jordan Clark (59*).

That prompted an end to play with eight balls of the day’s 90 overs remaining, Sussex by far the more dominant of the two sides with both bat and ball.

Deploying a total of ten bowlers on Tuesday, Sussex captain Ben Brown had a good look at the options available to him this summer and will have been very pleased with what he saw. His side will travel to the Ageas Bowl for another two-day friendly starting on Thursday.