Jamie Smith’s 70-ball hundred fuels audacious Surrey chase of 501
Surrey 145 and 263 for 3 (Smith 114, Sibley 61*, Latham 58) want an extra 238 runs to beat Kent 301 and 344 (Qadri 72, Clark 5-79)
An excellent century by Jamie Smith has given Surrey stand an opportunity of constructing historical past within the LV= Insurance County Championship: they want one other 238 for victory in opposition to Kent and what could be their highest-ever run chase.
The Division One leaders had been 263 for 3 at stumps and greater than midway to their goal, with Dom Sibley on 61 not out and Ben Foakes unbeaten on 22, after Smith made 114 and Tom Latham 58.
Kent had been all out for 344 simply earlier than lunch, a lead of precisely 500. Jordan Clark took 5 for 79, however solely after Hamid Qadri had hit a extremely entertaining 72 and placed on 117 in an important stand with Joey Evison that appeared to have batted Surrey out of the sport.
However, having misplaced simply two wickets within the final two periods Surrey stand a good chance of overhauling their earlier highest run chase, which was in opposition to Kent at this venue in 2002 after they completed on 410 for 8.
Surrey started a pulsating third day with hopes of getting Kent’s last 4 wickets cheaply, however Qadri, who had appeared like he would possibly get out with each supply on Monday night, was having fun with what’s identified on the circuit as a “day out”. He survived a dicey early spell, smacked Sean Abbott for six over cow nook and introduced up his fifty with a heave previous the bowler, Gus Atkinson, for 4.
By the time Clark took three wickets for no runs within the house of 5 balls, Kent’s lead was already 445 and the seventh-wicket stand that exasperated Surrey solely got here to an finish when Evison was caught by Smith off Clark for 42.
Clark then bowled Wes Agar, promoted up the order, for a second-ball duck and Qadri’s enjoyable lastly ended when he hit the identical bowler to Jacks on the boundary, however the last-wicket pair of Arshdeep Singh and Matt Quinn then placed on an extra 53. Arshdeep hit fours off his first two balls and Quinn then hit 37 from 22 balls, together with three sixes earlier than Clark bowled him.
Just because it appeared like Surrey’s morning could not get any worse, within the two over mini-session earlier than lunch Rory Burns managed to hit the primary ball for 4 earlier than edging the second to Jack Leaning at second slip and Latham was almost run out. He survived by an inch and the let off appeared to remind Surrey of the self-discipline they’d want as he and Sibley batted by means of all the afternoon.
They solely appeared weak when Qadri got here on, however his earlier luck abandoned him as he had Latham dropped twice, by Ben Compton and Agar, within the house of two overs.
He lastly bought his man when Daniel Bell-Drummond took a diving catch at mid-on shortly after tea however whereas Sibley continued to attain steadily Smith then began flaying the bowlers. He was on 77 when he lower Quinn and Compton could not maintain a troublesome catch and he reached three figures from 70 balls when he smashed Joe Denly’s first ball for six over long-on.
A wave of reduction went spherical the bottom when Arshdeep despatched his off stump flying to finish a stand of 138 however with Ben Foakes becoming a member of Sibley and taking eight off the ultimate over it left Kent members with lengthy reminiscences fearing one thing even worse than their defeat 21 years in the past, when Ian Ward and Jimmy Ormond placed on 97 for the eighth wicket to steer Surrey dwelling by two wickets.