Atkinson finds his fire after Lammonby century sets up Somerset

Surrey 42 for 0 path Somerset 285 (Lammonby 100, Renshaw 87, Gregory 50, Metal 4-50, Atkinson 3-57) by 243 runs

In direction of the top of that tour, he was pulled out of the IPL, the place he stood to earn roughly £100,000 however was more likely to spend two months on the Kolkata Knight Riders bench. That meant it took till April 12 for Atkinson to play his first match of 2024, after he was – surprisingly – informed to relaxation by the ECB in Surrey’s season opener towards Lancashire.

In accordance with the speeds on Surrey’s stream, Atkinson was a bit of down on tempo in his first spell – understandably so, after so lengthy with out a aggressive recreation. His most up-to-date look got here in England’s December T20I collection within the Caribbean, to which he contributed two wicketless overs for 33 runs. His first 4 months as a world cricketer appeared to have taken their toll.

He had 0 for 39 after his first 9 overs at The Oval, however made a decisive intervention between lunch and tea. The second ball of his third spell accounted for Tom Banton, nicely caught off his inside edge by a diving Ben Foakes, by which stage Somerset had turned 196 for 1 into 199 for 4.

It owed in no small half to Lammonby’s nervousness at reaching his seventh first-class hundred. On 99, he drove Jamie Overton to mid-on and stood mid-pitch as Jordan Clark fumbled. He rushed by way of to the non-striker’s finish however Renshaw was helpless, diving at full stretch to make his floor moments after Clark’s deadeye intention had knocked the stumps again.

Lammonby is a high-quality participant who attracted England’s curiosity when, at 20, he hit centuries in three consecutive matches within the Bob Willis Trophy. He has struggled since, failing to common even 30 within the final three Championship seasons and shedding his place throughout Somerset’s T20 Blast triumph final summer time, however began the season with 90 at Kent in a brand new position at No. 3.

He introduced up his hundred off simply 132 balls in south London, working Overton into the leg aspect, and his 16 boundaries included a number of crisp strikes down the bottom and thru the off aspect. He’ll not often come up towards such potent seam assaults throughout the remainder of the season and even in mid-April, this has the sense of a breakthrough summer time.

He angled three balls in a row throughout James Rew, whose 5 tons of final season have been unparalleled in Division One. The primary two narrowly beat his outdoors edge however the third, hung wider outdoors his off stump, induced an edge. His subsequent supply, a pointy quick ball, beat Kasey Aldridge for tempo and ballooned up to slide off the shoulder of his bat.

“It was very fast,” Clark mentioned. “That was after I thought ‘he is discovered his ft’, as a result of it was about 5 miles an hour faster than the previous couple of balls. Gus discovered his rhythm much more in his third spell… his run-up clicked quite a bit higher than it did at the beginning. He simply needs to be on the park, so he is clearly very joyful to come back again to his house membership.”

Atkinson was name-checked by Rob Key in a latest newspaper interview as one of many younger seamers who may “take us ahead” – “us” being England’s Take a look at group, after an overreliance on skilled seamers. His title can be mentioned for the T20 World Cup, however he could also be stored in cotton wool till the Take a look at summer time begins in July.

When Craig Overton was deceived by Metal’s drift, Somerset had misplaced six wickets for 15 runs and it took Lewis Gregory’s 50 to pull them up to 285. Shoaib Bashir, who contributed 10 not out to a last-wicket stand value 49, was not less than taking part in, having missed out final week. April is the cruellest month for spinners – however Metal’s 9 wickets this season have price simply 75 runs.

Surrey’s openers shaved 42 off the deficit earlier than the shut, Dom Sibley breaking character to crash six highly effective boundaries within the night session. He had began the day by taking an astonishing catch at slip: Sean Dickson edged to Overton, however Sibley watched the rebound land on his proper boot earlier than swooping low to pluck it inches from the turf.