Ben Foakes and Tim Curren star as Surrey dominate against Gloucestershire
Sunday 28 June 2015 20:08, UK
Ben Foakes and Tom Curran shared the honours as Surrey assumed total control of their Division Two Championship clash with Gloucestershire at The Oval.
Foakes, the 22-year-old England Lions wicketkeeper-batsman, scored 118 to steer his side to a formidable first-innings total of 448, prompting Curran to step up and take 5-17 in 10 overs to help reduce the visitors to 102-7 in reply by the close of day two.
Resuming the day on 279-5, Foakes and Gary Wilson took their overnight sixth-wicket stand to 83 before Wilson was well caught by Will Tavare at third slip off Liam Norwell for 37.
At that stage, Foakes had gone 12 overs without scoring a run, but he added 46 with James Burke (18) - before reaching his hundred in 188 balls with a top-edged cut pver the slips for his 12th four.
From there the runs began to flow as Gareth Batty plundered 50 off 43 balls, with 80 runs coming from 16 overs for the eighth wicket before the deserving Norwell had both Batty and Foakes caught at mid-on to finish with 5-112.
Curran, son of the late Zimbabwe and Gloucestershire all-rounder Kevin, then took centre stage, having Chris Dent caught behind in his first over and then, with Tavare and Klinger threatening to give Gloucestershire a solid foundation, he bowled both in successive overs.
Ian Cockbain was then caught at mid-on to leave the youngster with 4-9 in his first six overs.
Burke took a fine return catch to remove Benny Howell to leave Gloucestershire 50-5 and although Hamish Marshall and Geraint Jones put on 47 for the sixth wicket, Burke struck again by bowling Jones (30), allowing Curran to return and bowl Jack Taylor with the last ball of the day.
