Surrey v Warwickshire – Day One And It’s Already Heading For A Draw

Published on: 6 Jun, 2013
Updated on: 6 Jun, 2013

Varun Chopra powers on with another four

Report and photos by John Schluter

On a beautiful day at Woodbridge Road, with a flat track in the middle, Warwickshire won the toss and unsurprisingly elected to bat.

A cautious start ensued, on a flat track with Chris Tremlett and Jon Lewis bowling accurate line and length.

Change bowlers Zander De Bruyn and Stuart Meaker in particular provided the latitude for the Warwickshire duo to open up and start utilising the short boundaries square of the wicket at this popular venue.

Jim Troughton is made aware of Stuart Meaker’s lunchtime homework

At lunch the score stood at 97 without loss and ‘naughty boys nets’ for some Surrey bowlers curtailed their rest.

After the pair had taken the score close to 150 following resumption, Surrey skipper Vikram Solanki turned to the off-spin of Gary Keedy from the Railway End and his fifth ball bamboozled Ian Westwood who was bowled for 71.

New man Will Porterfield hardly settled and had accumulated 11 when Zander De Bruyn bowled him with a beauty from the Pavilion End.

Enter the Bears’ skipper Jim Troughton who provided solid support to the limpet-like opener Varun Chopra, cruising along with nary an alarm.

Ian Westwood piles on the runs

Troughton was on nine when a change from Tremlett to Meaker, suitably educated from his lunch-time homework, produced a beauty to rattle the timbers and send the grandson of the former Dr Who actor Patrick Troughton back to the Pavilion.

Further Midlands alarms were becalmed as ex England glove man Tim Ambrose provided exuberant support for the impressive Chopra who was closing on a double hundred by the close.