By Bruce Talbot
SURREY fell short in a fourth-day run chase against Somerset at the Kia Oval as their Vitality County Championship match ended in a draw.
Chasing 209 in 19 overs, Dan Lawrence and Jamie Smith hit 32 off the seventh and eight overs to take their stand to 90 and set up the prospect of a first win of the season for the champions.
Smith twice hit Craig Overton back over his head into the pavilion and pulled a short ball from Migael Pretorius over mid-wicket for his third six, but trying to clear long on off the first ball of the ninth over he was well caught by Matt Renshaw running in from the boundary for 45 off 25 balls.
Ollie Pope slashed the second ball of the tenth from Kasey Aldridge over point for six but he was bowled later in the over attempting a repeat before three wickets in nine balls ended Surrey’s challenge.
Aldridge picked up two in the 12th over as Jamie Overton slogged one in the air and skipper Rory Burns was caught on the boundary for a four-ball duck. Lewis Gregory then held a steepler to remove Dom Sibley off his own bowling.
Lawrence was unbeaten on 53 from 34 balls when the players shook hands with five overs left.
Earlier, Gregory batted for 66 overs for 80 in Somerset’s second-innings 351 as his determination, the loss of 18 overs in the morning to rain and the effects of a slow pitch and a Kookaburra ball which offered little assistance blunted the Surrey attack.
Gregory had come in on day three with his side five wickets down and only nine runs in front, but he got good support from Aldridge (42) and Craig Overton (52 not out) in four-and-a-quarter hours at the crease.
Play didn’t start until 12.10pm and when Surrey took the new ball Somerset’s lead was only 100. Gregory did edge a delivery from Kemar Roach which dropped just short of second slip but otherwise both he and Aldridge were untroubled until Roach made the breakthrough in the second over after lunch to end a seventh-wicket stand of 94.
Roach went slightly wide of the crease and Aldridge edged a ball which straightened a touch as he pushed forward.
The lead was 113 and after 13 overs of seam with the new ball Surrey switched to an all-spin attack but neither Steel nor Lawrence could break through. Overton survived an lbw appeal on 11 when he offered no shot to a ball from Lawrence which wouldn’t have missed leg stump by much. On 30 he pushed forward to Steel and the ball looped up off the top of his pad, but again umpire Richard Kettleborough turned down the appeal.
Back came the seamers and on 69 Gregory hooked Gus Atkinson’s short ball to deep square leg where Roach put down a difficult chance in the swirling wind. Surrey might have guessed then that their day was to end in frustration.
Gregory, whose 50 held Somerset’s first innings together after they collapsed, and Overton extended their stand to 89 and Gregory had just swatted a ball from Steel through mid-wicket to take the lead beyond 200 when his vigil ended somewhat tamely with a cut to point.
Pretorius’s ill-judged drive to extra cover and a quicker ball which pinned Shoaib Bashir gave Steel the final three wickets and match figures of 9 for 146.
Surrey took fourteen points, Surrey eleven.
Surrey’s Steel, who took nine wickets, said: “Lewis Gregory, Kasey Aldridge batted very well and Craig Overton backed it up so it was a tough slog for us. All credit to them for the way they played on a good pitch.
“The pitch here tends to get flatter as the game goes on but I’ve got no issues with the pitch, that’s what we like to play on. We generally win games with the Duke’s ball by outbatting and outbowling teams over the four days but it’s harder taking wickets with the Kookaburra as it gets softer and softer.
“We would have chased whatever they set us but sadly we couldn’t get over the line although Jamie Smith and Dan Lawrence batted really well.”
Somerset head coach Jason Kerr added: “Apart from about 40 minutes on day one we have been outstanding in this game. We showed a lot of resilience. We were close to shutting the game down but then we gave them a bit of a sniff. But Lewis Gregory and Kasey Aldridge bowled really well and I thought a draw was a fair result over four days.
“Kasey has been outstanding today with his bowling and batting today. He showed a lot of maturity under immense pressure. He’s grown as a cricketer already this season.”
Surrey travel to Kent on Friday.
