By claiming 5-66 and 4-60 respectively, Somerset’s Andy Caddick and Matt Bulbeck ensured the current odds-on favourites for this year’s championship were denied having things all their own way on the first day’s play at the AMP Oval yesterday. Both analyses represented personal bests against the Oval outfit. Surprisingly, it was Caddick’s first ever five-wicket haul against Surrey as well as being his principal one of the summer.

After a delayed start the home side won the toss, but it was not long before their decision to bat first was under scrutiny. The third ball of the day flattened Mark Butcher’s off stump and the eighth accounted for Mark Ramprakash, caught at short leg.

Against a swinging ball, the left-handed duo of Ian Ward and Graham Thorpe finally got Surrey on their way. Thorpe looked to have everything under control until the pair had added 49, when his attempted flick resulted in a juggling catch for Michael Burns at square leg.

Alistair Brown announced himself with a pulled six off Steffan Jones’s first ball. He continued in characteristically attacking vein either side of lunch until edging one that lifted and left him moments after the half-century partnership had been posted for the fourth wicket.

The visitors used three bowlers, essentially; the loss of two hours playing right into their hands. Consequently, Andy Caddick was kept sufficiently fresh to get through twenty-eight of the 69.1 overs bowled.

It was Caddick claimed the next wicket - that of Alec Stewart, who was drawn into pushing at one that hurried off the pitch. In the 36th over, Bulbeck’s thirteenth, Ian Ward’s resolute innings of 62 in 148 minutes off 101 balls came to an end when he was pouched at second slip.

Rain stopped play with the home side 153 for six, but that became 153 for seven immediately following the hour-long stoppage straddling tea when Martin Bicknell lost his leg stump to Andy Caddick.

When either of Somerset’s main pair were rested Jones provided some light relief; still he did pick up the wicket of Alex Tudor in the fiftieth over when the England reservist failed to get in line to a full-length delivery.

Salisbury and Saqlain, often thought of in partnership with the ball, combined this time with the bat to add forty in 55 minutes, which carried their side past the 200 mark and into the points.

Saqlain Mushtaq was leg before in the 64th over, playing across the line to Matt Bulbeck who wrapped up the Surrey the innings by having Ian Salisbury caught behind for an obdurate 26.

The amount of time lost in the day meant that the Somerset openers Jamie Cox and Marcus Trescothick only had four overs to negotiate at the end, which they did without incurring any losses of their own.

GO TO:

BACK TO: