Roundup: Amla and Geddes power Surrey to commanding score
Two superb centuries, by Surrey old and Surrey young, swept the Division One leaders past 400 and to maximum batting points. Hashim Amla, 39, had been averaging 21 this season but on a good pitch, against a weary and sometime wayward Kent bowling attack, form suddenly hit his veins, ball yomping back over the boundary, easy as you like.
At the other end Ben Geddes, just 20 and in only his third Championship game, made his first Championship century. Both fell for 124, and were ushered off to standing ovations from an excellent crowd sprinkled liberally about The Oval and blissed out by June.
Jamie Smith also raced to fifty, before being bowled in the last over of the day, and with Sam Curran coming on like a super sub, screaming to an unbeaten 26-ball fifty with a six off Jacob Duffy, things had progressed a quite a lick. They too play Baz-ball, who toil in the County Championship. It was a long day for Kent captain Jack Leaning, who had looked at the green-tinged pitch and plumped for a bowl.
Things proceeded nearly as quickly at Northampton, where Emilio Gay and Josh Cobb jogged to rapid half centuries against the county champions; while Rob Keogh blasted 130 in quick-time. A late unbeaten 55 from Lewis McManus rubbed salt in the eye.
At Chelmsford, four late wickets by Simon Harmer on a spin-friendly surface had Hampshire in a fix at 68 for six. Earlier in the day they had been cock-a-hoop to have Essex 105 for seven, until Shane Snater, fresh from an England mauling with the Netherlands, made a free-flowing 71.
Derbyshire’s Shan Masood became the first player to pass a thousand runs in 2022 during his 46 against Sussex, lbw to the returning Steven Finn, while Wayne Madsen finished unbeaten on 171.
Haseeb Hameed picked up his second century of the season for Nottinghamshire, in the top of Division Two table clash against Middlesex, building a firm base for Lyndon James and Steven Mullney to put on 151 for the fourth wicket.
Three wickets for left-armer Jack Morley gave Lancashire the upper hand against Gloucestershire at Bristol, despite a hundred from Chris Dent; and Ed Barnard saved the day for Worcestershire yet again, with a brilliant 131 against Glamorgan, picking up the debris from 63 for five. Joe Leach then took three for 21 to reduce Glamorgan to 32 for three.
Superb batting here at The Oval, topped off by a cameo for the ages by Sam Curran. Hundreds too for Haseeb Hameed, Chris Dent, Rob Keogh, Wayne Madsen and Ed Barnard. And wickets, at last, for Simon Harmer. The summer has properly started. I’ll be back tomorrow, till then, take it easy.
