Bailey stars despite Surrey fightback
TOM Bailey finished with 5 for 53 as Lancashire bowled Division One leaders and title favourites Surrey out for 211 inside 53 overs in the pink ball Specsavers County Championship match at the Kia Oval.
But Morne Morkel led a Surrey fightback in a long 43-over final session, with Lancashire sliding to 134-6 in reply under the floodlights, even though the hard-hitting Dane Vilas scored the first half-century of the match to lead a rally from 41-3 in a battling fourth wicket stand of 73 with Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Vilas had scored 61 from 88 balls when he drove hard at Sam Curran, who had returned for a second spell, and edged behind to his clear annoyance. He had hit 10 fours in all.
Former West Indies batsman Chanderpaul, who celebrated his 44th birthday last week remains 25 not out despite being beaten on a number of occasions and, on one, surviving a concerted appeal for a catch behind the wicket off Morkel, who took 2 for 10 in his first sixover spell.
Rikki Clarke then took the wickets of Steve Croft and Matthew Parkinson to ensure honours went the home side’s way after a dramatic and entertaining opening day on which the pink ball always held sway.
Tom Bailey’s impressive new ball burst of 3 for 18 had put Lancashire in early charge, as Surrey slid to 28 for 3 and then 110 for 5 by the first interval, eventually being bowled out for 211.