LV=CC v Surrey, day one match report
27 June 2015
South Africa opening batsman Dean Elgar scored 98 on his home debut for Surrey as Gloucestershire made them work hard to reach 279 for five on the first day of their LV=County Championship match at the Kia Oval.
Elgar stepped up the pace in a third wicket partnership of 131 in 52 overs with Zafar Ansari, who had batted almost four hours for 64 when he was lbw to Jack Taylor in the last over before tea.
Taylor, giving his off spin plenty of air, also accounted for Elgar, who was trying to hit him over the top for a third six to go with his 10 fours when he sliced horribly to backward point where Michael Klinger swooped to take the catch. Elgar had faced 203 balls.
Ansari had earlier shared an opening stand of 42 with Rory Burns, playing his first game since he was knocked unconscious in a horrific collision with his Australian team-mate Moises Henriques in a T20 game at Hove a fortnight ago. Burns needed stitches in cuts near his left eye while Henriques broke his jaw in three places.
Burns, who cannot remember anything about the collision, began by clipping the first ball of the match confidently for three and was looking good on 21 when Gloucestershire broke through with two wickets in six balls. Burns was caught behind driving at Liam Norwell for 21 and Arun Harinath edged Craig Miles to first slip.
Ansari, stood firm, however, and Elgar, who has replaced Kumar Sangakkara as Surrey’s overseas player while he is away playing for Sri Lanka, soon looked at ease in his new surroundings.
He gave Ansari 21 runs and 16 overs start but was first to his fifty off 105 balls with six fours and a six. Ansari, dropped at third slip off Norwell on 22, needed 187 balls to reach fifty with only four fours but was just becoming more expansive with two more boundaries when he fell to Taylor.
It was a long day in the field for Gloucestershire, who, like Surrey, had been in NatWest T20 Blast action the night before. They lost James Fuller who cut his hand on the matting covering one of the pitches on the square and spent the afternoon in hospital waiting for stitches but they never lost their discipline and were further rewarded when Norwell bowled Jason Roy, presumably held back for a late assault on tiring bowlers, for 14.
It was not until the 93rd over that Ben Foakes secured Surrey’s first batting point on his way to an unbeaten 57.
Richard Dawson, Gloucestershire coach: "Obviously losing James Fuller made it a tough job but I thought the way the lads stuck to it was brilliant. It was an outstanding effort, especially coming off the back of last night T20 and not having too much kip."
