Rory Burns, fresh off his double-century against Lancashire, continued his impressive form with a commanding 161 as Surrey dominated day one of their Vitality County Championship clash against Nottinghamshire. The champions-elect ended the day on a strong 339 for 5, with Ryan Patel (77) and Will Jacks (59) also contributing valuable runs.
However, the spotlight was stolen by 16-year-old offspinner Farhan Ahmed, who made a sensational first-class debut for Nottinghamshire. Ahmed, the younger brother of England prodigy Rehan Ahmed, claimed the wickets of Burns, Ben Foakes, and Jacks, finishing with impressive figures of 4 for 69 from 28 overs.
Surrey’s innings got off to a solid start, with Burns and Dom Sibley putting on 88 for the first wicket. Sibley was dismissed by Rob Lord, making his first-class debut for Nottinghamshire, but Burns continued to anchor the innings. He reached his fifty off 104 balls and shared a 175-run partnership with Patel, putting Surrey in a commanding position at tea.
Patel’s innings came to an end when he was caught behind off Ahmed, who also dismissed Burns and Foakes in quick succession. Jacks survived the hat-trick ball but was eventually caught on the long-off boundary, giving Ahmed his fourth scalp.
Despite Ahmed’s heroics, Surrey remain in a strong position. With half-centuries from Burns, Patel, and Jacks, they have laid a solid foundation for a potential third consecutive title. Nottinghamshire, on the other hand, will need to find a way to break through Surrey’s batting order on day two if they want to avoid a heavy defeat.
