BROTHERS IN ARMS!
Surrey’s Currans take all 10 wickets
FOr the first time in 65 years, two brothers yesterday shared all 10 wickets in an english county game. Tom and Sam Curran skittled northamptonshire for 110 — taking seven and three wickets respectively and stopping the visitors 300 runs short of Surrey’s first-innings total.
The feat was last achieved by Charles and Jack Oakes in 1950 for Sussex against Somerset, and earlier by Wg and eM grace in 1871. like their esteemed counterparts, the Curran siblings look set to break into the england set-up.
Swing-bowling all-rounder Sam, who has been picked for england Under 19s’ upcoming tour of Sri lanka, is a 17-year-old schoolboy born in northampton who signed for Surrey in July. right-arm seamer Tom, 20, was raised in Cape Town and invited to play second Xi cricket for Surrey in 2012. he will qualify for england by residence next month.
The pair’s father was Kevin Curran, the former Zimbabwe all-rounder who died in 2012, and Sam has clearly inherited some of his ability with the bat — he averages 35.60 in first class games and scored an unbeaten 61 in Surrey’s first innings.
he hit 37 off 39 balls on Saturday in their defeat by gloucester in the royal london Cup final, for which he needed permission from his school to play.
Director of cricket alec Stewart said last night: ‘The two Currans were quite outstanding. Sam batted very nicely for his first first-class fifty and the way Tom bowled was quite special. he’s just going from strength to strength which is great to see.
‘he 20 but he’s done a man’s job. Whether he’ll be able to reach the same heights next year or the year after time will tell, but he has a very bright future.’
Tom struck again with the third ball of northants’ second innings. Surrey are 77 runs ahead and on the verge of clinching the Division Two title.