Surrey Vs Somerset, Surrey won by 15 runs
To the Oval! …fashionably late on Friday evening for another t20 slogfest on the piss in the Pavilion.
A Surrey steward stopped me at the Alec Stewart Gates, and gave a good inspection of my Member’s card:
“Cobb - any relation to Josh Cobb at Northampton, Sir?”
I’ve dined out on this shaggy dog for many a summer now.
“Yep, he’s my son.”
…I replied.
“Ah, OK, Sir. I can see the family resemblance now”
…answered the Steward as he handed out yet another guest pass for a future fixture.
Imagine if your surname was Botham.
Once inside the old ground and I made a beeline for the Pavilion. I caught wind of a conversation between a couple of old blazer boys entering the grand staircase:
“Lord’s is by far superior, but The Oval has a unique atmosphere, Humphrey.”
Three hours later and Humphrey was starting to appreciate that unique South London atmosphere, as he came close to falling back down the grand staircase after a lively evening on the G&T’s.
My indulgences for Friday evening were a little more relaxed. Nobody packs a cricketing lunchbox better than my pal South London Tony.
He had sausage rolls that appeared to be dipped in chocolate, and then topped off with M&Ms.
Tasty.
Equally classy was the Sky Sports caravan that pitched up just to the offside of us in the lower tier of the Pavilion.
This was a BIG night for the ‘rrey. The Sky Sports boys were in town, and so were Somerset - Jayawardene, Trego et al.
[There’s actually no et al of significance to speak of. But you get the drift.]
This was also a BIG booze night.
I’ve been a little lapse on the Surrey refreshment front this season. I’ve been taking my opportunities whenever I can get away with it.
And Friday night was most certainly an opportunity to practise that well trodden path between the lower tier of the Pavilion and the Member’s Bar.
Which all makes for something a redundant Crap Match Report.
I tapped away at some random notes in my phone. But twelve hours later in the sobriety of the Sunny Stockwell flat, and these read more like some crap teenage love torn poetry.
I always did have a soft spot for that Peter Trego.
I vaguely remember being on #AnsariWatch, both with bat and ball.
Plus the appearance of Curran S and Curran T together at the crease has become one of the most pleasing sights at The Oval in recent years.
The continual playing of The Final Countdown was just bloody annoying.
A fine 50 from Surrey new boy Aaron Finch paused the trips between Pavilion and bar. I blame the bowling of Finch on the bonkers decision to turn on The Oval floodlights whilst the South London sun had the crowd reaching for the suncream.
It was half-decent to see Dernbach return for the ‘rrey with his death bowling. With Somerset chasing down 158, Jade’s return of 32-3 off four overs was impressive.
Not so impressive was the choice of I’ve Got a Brand New Combine Harvester whenever Somerset lost a wicket - ‘cos yeah, that Jayawardene is such a South coast country bumpkin.
Somerset fell 15 runs short of the chase. South London Tony and old boy Humphrey did their falling over in the bar.
My cricketing companion Red Maz then made some outrageous claim that a new portrait of #AnsariWatch had recently appeared in the Pavilion.
Turns out it that it was some dashing player from back in the day, bless.
It was that type of evening, to be honest.
C’mon the ‘rrey!