(CMC) – Barbados Pride and West Indies Test pacer Kemar Roach showed his pedigree with an inspired spell for Surrey to put them in charge of their rain-hit English County Championship match against Warwickshire yesterday.
Roach spearheaded the Surrey attack with three for 31 from 13 overs, and Warwickshire reached 143 for eight in the 51 overs possible before bad light stopped play on the rain-marred first day of the Division 1 match at Edgbaston in Birmingham.
Dan Mousley underlined his potential with an unbeaten 55 in treacherous conditions, but Roach, and Australian new-ball partner Dan Worrall and fellow pacer Jordan Clark with two wickets apiece carved up the Warwicks batting enough to give the reigning champions confidence of another victory to follow last week’s hammering of Hampshire.
After Surrey won the toss, Roach struck with the 14th ball of the match when he got opener Rob Yates for an eighth-ball duck, edging a gorgeous off-cutter to fourth slip.
Two wickets followed in three balls when Will Rhodes was caught at second slip of Worrall for six, and opener Alex Davies, having looked secure, top-edged a bizarre, cross-the-line swipe at Roach and was caught behind for 17.
Warwicks were 23 for three, and were six down before reaching 100, after Sam Hain was lbw for 10 to a superb inswinger from Tom Lawes, Ed Barnard was caught at second slip for 18 off Worrall, and Michael Burgess, a century-maker in this fixture last year, fell for a six-ball duck when he drove a low return catch to Roach.
England international Chris Woakes made 27 and put on 48 with Mouseley, but he was then trapped lbw to Clark, who got Pakistan international Hasan Ali lbw for a first ball duck with the next delivery, but the end of play came almost immediately when the rain returned at the end of the over.
