Gus Atkinson ignites Surrey’s stuttering season with hostile spell against Somerset

Somerset (283ao) against Surrey: Atkinson capped a fine week with an impressive spell as the hosts edged the opening day at The Oval

Gus Atkinson ignited Surrey's season with a hostile spell at The Oval (Getty Images for Surrey CCC)

These have been strange weeks for Surrey, county cricket’s predominant force. Three rounds, three draws; three titles in a row unlikely to become four. If a combination of placid pitches and the ill-timed inclemency of the weather have prevented the best in Division One from separating from the rest – not one of the ten teams has yet won more than a single game – a Surrey side so used to clicking into gear quickly have been left contemplating a stuttering start.

Shared solace could, at least, be taken with the fourth-round visitors to The Oval. Perennial bridesmaids Somerset, like Surrey, are yet to win; for regular title rivals, even early in a season that will extend deep into September, this feels a pivotal meeting.

A pitch with threaded with a tinge of Crucible baize and collecting cloud cover offered hope that a result may not be out of reach – Rory Burns, the home skipper, certainly made encouraging noises after inserting Somerset after winning the toss. But a theme of Surrey’s season so far has been peculiar profligacy with the new ball. At Hove last week, Sussex’s openers Tom Haines and Daniel Hughes made merry with the travelling attack unable to figure out the slope to two left-handers.

Surrey have endured a slow start to the County Championship season (Getty Images for Surrey CCC)

The strokeplay was not perhaps quite as eye-catching from Tom Lammonby and Archie Vaughan but for Surrey supporters, the opening session on Friday would have felt strikingly - and concerningly – familiar. This is, my common reputation, the country’s strongest bowling attack, one good enough to leave out Kemar Roach in the final game of the Bajan’s latest Surrey stint and also deem one-cap England international Matt Fisher surplus to requirements. One began to wonder if a mistake had been made as Lammonby and Vaughan progressed calmly to lunch at 98/0 after Sean Dickson was forced to retire hurt following a blow to the hand.

As it was, Surrey needed England’s find of 2024 to crack the encounter open. It has been a very good week for Gus Atkinson, garlanded by Wisden as a cricketer of the year after a remarkable breakthrough in Test cricket that included a Lord’s five-for, ten-for and century. Having been back to the Home of Cricket to collect the famous yellow cover on Monday, Atkinson swapped bow tie for bowling boots to produce a timely reminder of his qualities.

Atkinson occupies a slightly strange place in the pecking order, not necessarily Surrey’s attack leader given the depth of the champion club’s options but perhaps in line to lead England’s seam stocks to start the summer. With Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Brydon Carse and Olly Stone sidelined, it could be that Atkinson is suddenly the senior head in an attack containing Essex’s Sam Cook and Nottinghamshire’s Josh Tongue against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge in a few weeks time. Matt Potts - rested at England’s request this week for Durham - will be in the mix, too.

Gus Atkinson bowled with impressive pace at The Oval (Getty Images)

The 27-year-old shared the new ball here with Dan Worrall, another pushing for England selection, but it was his rapid burst after lunch that best showcased his skillset. With extra pace and bounce, Atkinson hurried a fiddle out of Vaughan (36) just outside off stump, the youngster safely pouched at second slip and back to the pavilion with bat tucked under arm in the spitting image of his father.

Worrall soon removed Tom Abell (0) as Surrey struck twice in two overs, and the pressure would not be relinquished. After Tom Banton feathered behind off the excellent Jordan Clark for 20, a sharp spell of short stuff from Atkinson bothered both Lammonby and the usually organised Rew. The former was bowled around his legs for an impressive 76 by Worrall before the latter (6) shivered his own timbers as he bottom-edged a zippy Atkinson delivery.

Archie Vaughan batted well for 36 before falling to Gus Atkinson (Getty Images for Surrey CCC)

Kasey Aldridge and Lewis Gregory (62) dug in, though could not get the scoring restarted. Aldridge befell the same fate as Lammonby as he tried to work Clark to leg and Migael Pretorius was cleaned up first ball as Surrey’s attack at last showed its teeth. Gregory found a useful partner in Josh Davey (29) to creep towards the close before Clark struck again, and Dan Lawrence’s rapid removal of Jack Leach forced a sore Dickson back to the crease. Some late lusty blows from Gregory lifted Somerset to 283 before he became a fifth victim for Clark (5-68), leaving Surrey on top with a pitch perhaps likely to flatten on days two and three.

Elsewhere on Friday in the County Championship, Ben Duckett’s first innings of the summer ended prematurely as the England opener - batting at No 3 for Nottinghamshire – was caught behind aiming an airy drive through extra cover off the bowling of former international teammate Ollie Robinson. It was a good day at Trent Bridge for Notts overall, though, with Tongue impressing again with a fine five-for as the hosts ended the day three down and just five behind Sussex’s total of 169.

A loan move for Somerset’s Jake Ball proved productive, meanwhile, as the Durham debutant’s first day brought a five-wicket haul at Worcester.