The Kia Oval's first sunny Saturday is always a delight. While the Blast and Hundred tournaments turn this place into the largest beer garden in London, the County Championship takes precedence for a more laid-back start to the summer. Nearly 2000 spectators whiled away the hours in the stands as Surrey began their quest for a third consecutive title.
They are currently leading Somerset by 73 runs. This is largely due to Dom Sibley's first century at home since his return in 2023, along with valuable contributions from skipper Rory Burns, Jamie Smith, and Ben Foakes. Although their first-innings score of 358 was impressive, they could have done better and taken advantage of the four wickets left to play with on Sunday.
Somerset worked hard throughout the match, with Lewis Gregory adjusting his attack and field placements to maximize the potential of the Kookaburra ball, in an attempt to compensate for their batting mistakes on the first day. Bowlers will eagerly anticipate the return of the Dukes ball next week. Although there were times during the initial partnership of 167 runs when the opposing bowlers may have been frustrated with the Australian ball, they persevered and gave their best effort.
Sibley scored his 20th first-class century with a two-paced and immaculate performance. He showcased his straight drives, including the ones he scored the night before. He almost got out on 49 due to a slight misjudgement while attempting the stroke. Fortunately, Migael Pretorious' away swinger had too much shape and missed the edge of his bat, despite the vociferous appeals.
With Burns' support, at ease after reaching his 94th fifty-plus score with a glorious pull in front of square for his eighth boundary, the opening pair seemed capable of matching Somerset's total of 285 by themselves. Even after Burns fell for 75, still 118 runs away from parity, Surrey appeared to be on track to bat only once.
Although it remains a possibility, there is now less certainty. Despite their control, Surrey lost four wickets while adding 99 runs. While not quite as dramatic as Somerset's collapse from 196 for 1 to 216 for 8, the loss of the four wickets was similarly frivolous.
England vice-captain Ollie Pope had Kasey Aldridge slogged to deep backward square leg by Alfie Ogborne. Sibley, like Tom Lammonby 24 hours earlier, was dismissed after scoring 100 runs, albeit in a quirky fashion. An attempt to hit Lewis Goldsworthy's left-arm spin towards Vauxhall tube station resulted in an inside edge onto his boot, sending the ball spinning back onto the stumps.
A brief respite from the back-and-forth came in the form of Smith, who took the match on a completely different path. He was determined to make up the 71-run deficit that greeted his arrival at the crease all by himself. His third ball was a perfectly executed on-drive, and he pulled the sixth ball through midwicket. The initial of his two sixes, both off Gregory and both sent deep into the Peter May Stand, marked Surrey's firsts of the season. This took him to a run-a-ball 30, with all but four runs coming from boundaries.
At tea, Smith had 47, accompanied by Ben Foakes on 18, seemingly ready to launch. Despite any international rivalry for the Test wicketkeeping position, collective defiance was the primary objective. When Smith guided the second new ball down to third for four to go to 51 from 76, those watching in this corner of south London were primed for a spectacle.
Later, Smith was walking back to the home dressing room after being undone by a bit of nip and a lack of bounce from Craig Overton's good length, which sent his off stump for a walk. When Dan Lawrence's first innings for his new club lasted just 20 deliveries and he was struck in front of the middle and leg by Aldridge, Somerset, trailing by six, was optimistic about limiting the hosts to a nominal first-innings lead.
The way they grafted throughout the afternoon is not diminished by the possibility that this may not come to pass. Aside from Smith's blitz against the old ball at the back end of the second session, Surrey's scoring had been limited. This was evident in the breakdown of Sibley's century, with the first 50 coming in 85 deliveries and the second requiring 123.
Shoaib Bashir was the main suffocater, with England's new marathon man spinner continuing his metronomic, almost trance-like passage from the Vauxhall End, notably during an unbroken 16-over spell. Only 31 runs were conceded in this passage, including five of the nine maidens so far, and Burns was dismissed by edging a cut to wicketkeeper James Rew. This was seemingly caused by a surprise bit of skid off the pitch. The dismissal was overdue, given Burns' life at 56. He was dropped at deep square leg in the 31st over, which would have made it 121 for 1. This also handed Pretorious his maiden Somerset wicket.
Foakes' resistance, combined with a more aggressive approach from Cameron Steel, resulted in a 48-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Despite achieving his first half-century of the season with a jumping swivel pull through midwicket, Foakes was dismissed by Gregory while attempting to shuffle across his stumps to play a shot on the leg side.
Steel was responsible for securing Surrey's third and final batting point. In a similar fashion to his back-foot punch through cover-point for the second, he skillfully threaded a boundary - this time through cover - to bring Surrey's score to 352, before focusing on the upcoming end of play.