Surrey rating 501 for highest County Championship run chase in 98 years to beat Kent
S
urrey recorded the County Championship’s highest run chase in 98 years as they scored 501 to beat Kent by 5 wickets at Canterbury.
Dom Sibley scored the competitors’s slowest ever century as he steered the guests to the eighth highest first-class chase on file and second highest in championship historical past.
They missed matching the championship file by one run, with Middlesex chasing 502 to beat Nottinghamshire by 4 wickets at Trent Bridge in 1925.
What threatened to be a pulsating remaining day as an alternative become a one-sided procession as Sibley and Ben Foakes batted mercilessly, eclipsing Surrey’s earlier highest chase of 410, made at this venue in 2002.
Foakes made 124, whereas Sibley completed on 140 from 415 balls after reaching his century in 511 minutes and 368 deliveries. And Sibley noticed the job by means of as he eased Surrey house with Jordan Clark after an impressive feat of focus and endurance
Three days of momentum swings, luck, particular person brilliance and human error had left the match nearly completely poised initially of day 4, with Kent needing seven wickets and Surrey 238 runs.
The remaining day, nevertheless, provided nearly not one of the drama of the earlier three. Needing beneath three an over, the reigning champions homed in on the goal slowly and thoroughly.
The morning session was nearly excellent for Surrey. Foakes and Sibley noticed off the brand new ball and scored predominantly in singles, at one level going 10 overs with no boundary. Foakes survived an lbw enchantment from Wes Agar however they had been in any other case unthreatened.
Kent had been satisfied Hamid Qadri had Foakes, on 73, caught behind, however the wicketkeeper survived.
Sibley lastly reached three figures when he drove Joey Evison for 4, beating the earlier file for the slowest ton – understood to be Jason Gallian’s 453-minute century for Lancashire in opposition to Derbyshire at Blackpool in 1994.
Foakes took two from Jack Leaning within the subsequent over to convey up a comparatively quickfire hundred from 198 deliveries.
With the goal now beneath 100, Surrey barely upped the aggression. The one hundred and thirtieth over went for 20 however Foakes was caught by Matt Quinn on the boundary off Joe Denly, ending a partnership of 207.
It was 452 for 4 at tea and the smattering of Surrey followers by the Old Dover Road entrance had been savouring each minute.
Will Jacks was out for 19, caught by Agar off Arshdeep Singh, however by then simply 40 had been wanted.
Clark sealed the win with a single off Denly and Surrey exited the sphere to a totally deserved ovation from house and away followers alike.