Bob Willis Trophy: Simon Harmer and Jamie Porter help Essex get on top against Surrey
- Published
Essex's Jamie Porter began the game with 335 first-class wickets at a cost of just 24.29 runs each
Bob Willis Trophy, Cloudfm County Ground (day two): |
Essex 262: Khushi 66, Wheater 52; Clarke 3-26 & 13-0 |
Surrey 187: Jacks 70, Evans 41; Harmer 6-67, Porter 4-53 |
Essex (5 pts) lead Surrey (3 pts) by 88 runs with 10 wickets left |
Simon Harmer bagged his 18th first-class five-wicket haul for Essex as the hosts helped themselves to a healthy first-innings lead over Surrey in the Bob Willis Trophy.
Off-spinner Harmer, the County Championship's leading wicket-taker with 83 last year, has now taken 229 wickets since joining Essex at the beginning of the 2017 season as he returned figures of 6-67.
The South African shared the wickets with trusty partner Jamie Porter, who took 4-53, as Surrey were bowled out for 187 in response to Essex's 262 - a deficit of 75, which rose to 88 in a wicketless four over twilight burst as the hosts closed on 13-0.
After Essex had lost their last three first-innings wickets in 40 balls for the addition of nine runs, Porter blasted a hole at the top of the Surrey batting order with two wickets in two deliveries.
The seamer forced Ryan Patel to hand Harmer a regulation catch at second slip with his sixth delivery, before Scott Borthwick tucked off his hip to Feroze Khushi at midwicket.
Will Jacks saw off the hat-trick ball as he dug out a yorker as he began to work his way towards a well-made 70.
At the other end, Mark Stoneman struggled to get out of neutral gear as he scored five singles in 65 balls before edging Harmer to Sir Alastair Cook, before Jamie Smith had the top of his off peg knocked down by Porter.
Jacks was dropped on 26, 31 and 46 - twice by Varun Chopra at short-leg and by Aaron Beard at deep fine-leg - but moved to his seventh first-class fifty in 81 balls.
He had been joined by Laurie Evans - who was paying his first innings in a decade for Surrey after joining on loan from Sussex - for a valuable 80-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Both fell either side of tea to spark a second collapse of the innings - Surrey losing three wickets for three runs as Harmer took control.
Jacks pushed Harmer to midwicket, while Porter bowled Evans before Chopra made amends for his early spills when he clung onto a stunner under the lid to dismiss Gus Atkinson, and then held onto a loopier catch off Rikki Clarke's bat-pad.
Harmer's five-for was confirmed when Adam Finch clipped around the corner to Tom Westley.
Essex were frustrated for 10 overs by the last-wicket pair of James Taylor and Amar Virdi, before the former picked out Nick Browne at cow corner.
Match report supplied by PA Media.
- Published8 August 2020
