Jordan Clark century places Surrey again on observe after top-order wobble
Surrey 339 for 8 (Clark 107, James 4-74) vs Nottinghamshire
Jordan Clark struck his first century of the season as Surrey took benefit of Nottinghamshire’s severely depleted bowling assets to construct a powerful platform of their LV= Insurance County Championship conflict on the Kia Oval.
The all-rounder hit 107, sharing a seventh-wicket partnership of 97 with Sean Abbott to steer the house aspect, who had stuttered to 70 for 4 after being put in, to 339 for eight at stumps.
Nottinghamshire misplaced seamer Jake Ball to harm within the first session and their issues have been later compounded when fellow opening bowler Brett Hutton limped off with cramp. Hutton, who had earlier elevated his season’s tally of wickets to 36 – the joint-second highest in Division One – tried to renew bowling in direction of the top of the day, however pulled up once more after solely a single supply.
Haseeb Hameed, taking up Nottinghamshire captaincy duties after Steven Mullaney was dominated out by a aspect pressure, gained the toss and selected to bowl – a transfer immediately vindicated when Hutton trapped Rory Burns lbw for a second-ball duck.
Hutton additionally despatched a number of deliveries fizzing simply previous Tom Latham’s outdoors edge however the guests have been unable to make additional inroads, regardless of rotating their trio of frontline seamers – a inventory that grew to become extra restricted when Ball left the sector after 5 largely unproductive overs.
Latham and Dom Sibley took benefit, with the latter clipping Lyndon James off his pads for 4 to lift the 50 partnership and, at 66 for one with the lunch interval on the horizon, Surrey appeared comfortably positioned.
That state of affairs swiftly modified as three wickets went down in a shade below three overs, with Hutton returning on the Vauxhall End and getting the ball to seam and take Sibley’s outdoors edge.
Wicketkeeper Tom Moores sprang well to his left to take the second of his 5 catches within the subsequent over, dismissing Jamie Smith for a duck off James, who bowled resolutely and likewise had Latham leg earlier than shifting throughout his stumps.
Will Jacks initiated a counter-attack within the afternoon session, dispatching each Hutton and Dane Paterson to the mid-off boundary as he and Ben Foakes swiftly constructed a partnership of 60 for the fourth wicket.
But a shrewd bowling change once more paid dividends, with Paterson starting a brand new spell and persuading Jacks to present his first supply the cost, leading to a thick edge that thudded into Moores’ gloves.
Clark eagerly accepted the baton and shortly overtook his accomplice, wanting sturdy off the again foot and crashing Paterson for 2 cowl boundaries earlier than chopping him by way of level for 4 extra.
However, Hutton’s mid-over exit shortly earlier than tea compelled Nottinghamshire to present leg-spinner Calvin Harrison an prolonged spell, with Matthew Montgomery additionally turning his arm over.
Clark nudged a single to achieve his 50 shortly after tea, just for Foakes to feather Paterson’s subsequent ball behind and fall 4 shy of that landmark, but Abbott proved a greater than succesful ally.
Hutton finally rejoined the assault halfway by way of the final session, however Abbott clubbed his first ball to the fence earlier than the bowler pulled up in his subsequent supply stride and trudged again to the dressing-room as soon as extra.
Clark progressed in direction of the third first-class hundred of his profession and received there from 133 balls, coming down the observe to smash Montgomery to the mid-on boundary earlier than James had him caught behind quickly afterwards off an inside edge.
Abbott seemed set for a half-century, thumping James for successive fours to achieve 48, however he slashed the following ball to second slip to present the Nottinghamshire all-rounder his fourth wicket of the innings.