Bristol Washout Sends Surrey Through

Published on: 18 May, 2017
Updated on: 19 May, 2017

Gloucester’s Brightside ground in Bristol today where no play was possible – Photo Getty Images

By George Geaves

Surrey have advanced through to the quarter finals of the Royal London One Day Cup after rain affected play across England.

The Brown Caps went into Wednesday’s game against Gloucestershire knowing that only a win would guarantee them a place in the latter stages of the competition. Anything but a win would mean their chances of progressing would be slim as the winner of Sussex’s crunch game with Hampshire would leapfrog Surrey.

Torrential rain on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning meant that the chances of cricket going ahead across the country looked very slim. Surrey’s game was the first to be called off without a ball being bowled so the teams took a point each which meant that only Sussex could deny “The Rey” another quarter final date.

Surrey were left to bite their nails for a further two hours as the umpires down at The Rose Bowl waited as long as possible before calling the game off. Eventually the game was abandoned which meant that Surrey were once again through to a One Day Cup quarter final.

Yorkshire await Gareth Batty’s side in the quarter final on the June 13 at Headingley. They will be hoping that they can repeat last season’s victory over The White Rose county and advance to their third semi final in as many years.

Yorkshire has been in fine form in white ball cricket this year, finishing second in the North Group. England reject and new Yorkshire captain Gary Ballance has been in fine form during the competition with a high score of 152 not out and an average of 75.

But Surrey’s Ben Foakes has the highest average in the competition and he has been in imperious form throughout. The wicketkeeper had a promising pre-season and he has transferred this form into the season, scoring four half centuries in his five innings.

Last season Surrey were embarrassed by Warwickshire in the final of the One Day Cup and they will be determined to avenge that nightmare this season. They have qualified for the latter stages the hard way but they still have a good chance of making it to Lords again on the July 1.