A steady sort of start for Surrey with a draw at home to Northants, especially by the poor standards of recent years. I managed to take in the whole of Friday and Sunday as well as the morning session on Saturday. Our batting was a bit reckless on the first day as a string of top order batsmen got out trying to force the pace when well set. The pitch looked dry and helpful for spinners throughout, while Meaker & Linley frequently beat the bat without much luck as the visitors dug in hard on the second morning. Ultimately Northants were indebted to their all-time eighth wicket county record partnership between Hall & Middlebrook that followed a middle order collapse and denied Surrey what would probably have been a decisive first innings lead. Middlebrook had a fine game, bowling tidily and threateningly as well as scoring a ton battiing at nine.
Of Surrey's newcomers, I felt Arafat's bowling looked a bit innocuous but De Bruyn & Maynard each showed up well with the bat.
Gary Wilson was an assertive presence at the top of the order, although he seems to have a tendency to go fishing outside off stump. Michael Brown was lbw to Vaas first ball in his first match for 18 months, but at least he got a decent innings second time around.
If those who played in this match keep producing the runs it could get interesting when Pietersen is fit again and the selectors will want him to get a game or two under his belt. The middle order included Davies & Hamilton-Brown at 4 & 5, who as wicketkeeper and captain respectively will need to stay in; Ramprakash should also be fit again by then, so who drops out if De Bruyn and/or Maynard has staked a strong claim? (Not to mention the likes of Roy & Lancefield waiting in the wings.) Maybe we'll end up having to loan KP to someone else so he can get a game!
22pts for us puts us joint top with the other lot.
