Surrey asserted their dominance on the opening day of their Vitality County Championship clash against Lancashire at the Kia Oval, restricting the visitors to 204 before reaching 83 without loss in reply.
Lancashire’s batting lineup struggled against Surrey’s potent seam attack, with no batsman reaching the half-century mark. Matty Hurst top-scored with a gritty 46, while George Balderson and Josh Bohannon contributed 33 and 26 respectively.
The highlight of the day was the debut of 16-year-old Rocky Flintoff, son of former England captain Andrew Flintoff. The young all-rounder showed glimpses of his potential, scoring a creditable 32 before being caught at backward point.
Surrey’s bowlers were in fine form, with Jordan Clark leading the way with four wickets for 57 runs. Dan Worrall claimed three wickets, while Conor McKerr and Sam Curran each took two.
In reply, Surrey openers Rory Burns and Dom Sibley put on an unbeaten 83-run partnership. Burns looked particularly impressive, hitting successive boundaries off George Balderson’s medium pace.
The match was halted early due to bad light, but Surrey will be confident of extending their lead on day two.
