Will Jacks and Ben Foakes star as Surrey make solid start to their title defence against Essex

Impressive start: Will Jacks hit a career-best 88 at The Oval but fell short of a maiden first-class century
Getty Images for Surrey CCC
Will Macpherson11 April 2019

With the sun shining and the County Championship pennant flying above the Oval Pavilion for the first time in 16 seasons, Surrey eased into their title defence with a solid day’s batting against Essex's dogged attack.

Mark Stoneman looked solid for 45 and Ben Foakes was terrific for his 69, but the best innings came from Surrey’s youngest player, Will Jacks. He got off the mark with a six and soon brought up a 59-ball half-century studded with boundaries.

He was bowled late in the day by Peter Siddle for 88 – that it was a career best will not make up for missing out on his maiden first-class century.

On this evidence he will not have to wait long for that. This was not as eye-catching as the 25-ball century he scored in a recent T10 warm-up in Dubai, but the 2,500 at the Kia Oval were thoroughly entertained. They will see plenty more of Jacks – who drove beautifully on the up and never lacked authority – in the coming years.

Despite a wobble before lunch, where they lost three Test batsmen for 11 after an opening stand of 75, and three quick wickets with Rikki Clarke and Tom Curran following Jacks in the final seven overs, Surrey had the best of the day.

National selector Ed Smith was on hand to watch the queue of Test candidates in Surrey’s top order. Rory Burns had looked in decent order early on before becoming a little stuck. Jamie Porter nipped one away and Burns was caught behind for 31, not long after being dropped.

His opening partner Stoneman fell in the same fashion to the first ball of a new spell from Siddle and, by the end of the over, the Australian had Ollie Pope caught at third slip, too. In his three balls, Pope found time for a gorgeous cover-driven four.

That brought Foakes and Ryan Patel, who took 35 balls to get off the mark on his promotion to No3, together. Foakes looked stylish and untroubled until he was dropped poorly immediately after lunch – a lifeline that appeared to up his scoring rate. When he fell caught at slip trying to turn Simon Harmer to leg, he looked as surprised as anyone in the ground.

Patel, as he would in his stand of 151 with Jacks later, slipped quietly along in Foakes’ slipstream, unfurling the occasional classy drive. The 21-year-old left-hander is Surrey’s utility man, and they will hope he can drive them to full batting points on Friday. They were 342 for seven at stumps.

Ben Foakes struck 69 as Surrey enjoyed a solid day at the crease against Essex
Getty Images for Surrey CCC

Elsewhere, Gary Ballance and Joe Root put on their second vast partnership of the week for Yorkshire, but the England skipper fell for 92 against Hampshire. They had shared 253 against Nottinghamshire on Monday and were back at it, putting on 182 for the third wicket before Root was bowled by Liam Dawson.

By then, Ballance had brought up his second century of the season, and he reached stumps on 120.

One Root did manage a century, however: Joe’s younger brother Billy made one on his Championship debut for Glamorgan against Northamptonshire. Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne achieved the same feat as Glamorgan picked up full batting points on the opening day.

Middlesex endured a disappointing first day after a promising start against a strong Lancashire attack at Lord’s. There were half-centuries for Nick Gubbins (55) and Stevie Eskinazi (75) but Middlesex lost eight wickets for 110 to reach stumps on 236 for nine. There were three wickets for James Anderson and four for Tom Bailey.

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