onionbagblog

Close of play, day one: Surrey 305-5 (Surrey 3pts, Northants 1pt)

Work done for now. Making short walk down the Clap’ham Rd for some @surreycricket action. Monty’s been bowling all morning. Vaguely excited #

Luncheon over at The Oval. Players are out with @surreycricket batting on 96-2. Big appeal from Monty in first over. No sign of #ashes fever #

Old boy in front of me at The Oval has sunk half a bottle of champagne in past half hour. He’s reading the obits in The Times. 120-2 Surrey #

Deary me. Midweek and the Peter May boys are bare chested. The Peter May boys have an average age of 65 #

Aha! A rare sighting of the Surrey fox! And I don’t mean the blue rinse bird sitting behind me. 137-2 Surrey. Good progress after luncheon #

Monty Panesar, Oval boundary #fail #

Daily Express journos (yeah, I know) should set up base at The Oval. This is their demographic heartland. On the look out for Di. 158-3 #

Exchanging emails with the wonderful @surreycricket, who is sitting about ten metres to my left. 164-3 Surrey. Monty out of attack #

I’ve looked at this London skyline from top of The Oval for 15 years. Still finding new points of interest. We’ll miss this when we’re gone #

And there’s the half century for JB. 179-3 Surrey #

Back at The Oval and it’s all about JB and his century. Batty on 94. Bizarre chat at break in toilets with bloke about hand towels #

Monty is a better fielder than bowler. Discuss (or probably just get on with some work.) 99 for Jonathan Batty
#

Brilliant. Ton up for JB. Really couldn’t happen to a nicer bloke. Been batting for almost seven hours now. 279-5 Surrey #