Yorkshire v Surrey, Somerset v Sussex, and more: county cricket, day two – live

County Championship updates from the latest matches
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And the second Yorkshire centurion goes, flicking his bat in annoyance, caught at first slip for 141.

“Now then Tanya!” Hello Tim Maitland

”With Surrey having unwillingly allowed the relatively out-of-form Adam Lyth and YJB to play themselves into their first centuries of the season and, if they don’t deal with them quickly this morning, facing being clarted into all four corners of LS6, I found myself wondering if Surrey’s championship challenge might be foundering on their bowling.

”Before the start of this round of matches Surrey had conceded 3,410 runs. That’s more than any other team in the first division, almost 800 runs more than leaders Nottinghamshire and puts them in an unwanted club of three to have already leaked 3,000 more together with strugglers Yorkshire and Leicestershire (one win and five defeats between them).

”They’re only third best in runs scored with 3,116, but that differential can be partly explained by their batting only once in draws against both Essex and Nottinghamshire.

”This table provides some answers. All five of Surrey’s games feature in the top ten highest match aggregates in the first division this year. In other words, their bowlers haven’t had much of a chance.

”If Nottinghamshire (4th in the list with a combined 1,278 runs with Surrey) and Warwickshire (3rd with 1,319 runs) both decided that producing batters’ paradises offered themselves the best chance to neuter Surrey’s challenge, the acid question is whether it’s been in Surrey’s best interests to produce such roads as they have at the Oval (1st and 1,474 runs v Leicestershire; 6th and 1,272 v Sussex; 9th and 1,183 v Essex).

”Worryingly for Surrey bowlers, second on the list is the Headingley surface that produced 1,337 runs against Sussex, which might suggest they’re in for another flogging this weekend. Even with the massive gap in championship fixtures, do Surrey have the strength in depth to be ridden like rented mules week after week?” Continue reading...