LONDON – Kemar Roach produced a mesmerising exhibition of seam bowling to pick up a six-wicket haul, and put Surrey on the brink of victory on day three of their Division One County Championship game against Warwickshire.
The 35-year-old, who has taken 270 Test wickets to be fifth on the all-time West Indies list, finished with six for 46 as Warwickshire were dismissed for 209 in their second innings at the Oval here Sunday.
Opener Rob Yates struck 52, Ed Barnard got 44 while Sam Hain chipped in with 34 but the visitors lost their last six wickets for 44 runs.
Left with a target of just 89, Surrey ended the day on 31 without loss, requiring a further 58 runs on Monday’s final day.
The day belonged to Roach, however, the right-armer taking control of the game after Jamie Smith converted his overnight 98 into a superb 155 as Surrey were bowled out for 464 in their first innings after resuming the morning on 326 for six.
Smith struck 18 fours and three sixes, adding 115 for the ninth wicket with Australian Sean Abbott who belted a breezy 50 not out off 58 deliveries.
Facing a deficit of 121, Warwickshire reached seven without loss at lunch from the one over possible before things fell apart.
Roach struck in the third over following the resumption when captain Alex Davies missed a forward defensive prod at a full length delivery which nipped back, to be lbw for three.
The first of two half-century stands then saw Warwickshire fight back, Yates and Will Rhodes (21) posting 51 for the second wicket.
Seamer Jordan Clarke removed Rhodes to a catch at the wicket and Roach returned to claim Yates, plucking out the off-stump after the left-hander missed an injudicious pull at a length ball.
When Dan Mousley played around one from Roach that nipped back and was lbw for two, Warwickshire were tottering at 90 for four but Barnard and Hain combined in a 75-run fifth wicket partnership to repair the damage.
Abbott eventually broke the stand when he had Barnard caught and bowled and Roach followed up by ripping out fellow Barbadian Jacob Bethell’s off-stump for four after the nonplussed left-hander shouldered arms to one that seamed back.
Roach’s fifth wicket was a beauty, Hain squared up by one that angled in and then straightened to hit off stump, giving the Barbadian his 23rd five-wicket haul of a stellar career.
He then celebrated the achievement by spectacularly removing Aamer Jamal’s middle stump for one, with a delivery which darted back from outside off-stump.
CMC
