Cricket: Kendrick's safety-first drill

Somerset 275-9 dec and 101-3; Surrey 199

ALTHOUGH Surrey failed by 76 runs to come to terms with Somerset's first innings total the second day's play bore a marked similiarity to the first in that Surrey's main batsmen failed and it was only stout tail-end resistance which took them to 199. By the close, Somerset were 101 for 3 in their second innings, 177 runs ahead.

Surrey's first seven wickets fell for 105 when they still needed 21 to save the follow-on. It was then that Neil Kendrick, helped mainly by Graham Kersey and Waqar Younis, guided them out of immediate trouble.

The 21 overs of leg breaks and googlies bowled by Mushtaq Ahmed ensured that there was not quite the same monotony about the cricket as there had been on the first day. Surrey are a most unsympathetic county when it comes to spin and it seems strange that the off-spinner, James Boiling, who went on the England A tour last winter should only have been needed for five championship games so far this season.

Somerset's overnight declaration was followed by a remarkable first over in which the extremely fast Dutchman, Andre van Troost, removed Ray Alikhan, caught at short leg, and Darren Bicknell, caught behind down the leg side.

The wicketkeeper, Robert Turner, was standing at least a pitch length behind the stumps which gives a good indication of the 21-year-old Van Troost's pace. This was his first five- wicket haul this season and if he can maintain this hostility he must stand a good chance of becoming England's first Test player from another EC country.

After Andrew Smith had played into his stumps, Alec Stewart and Alistair Brown produced the most authoritative batting of the day and had put on 57 when Brown was caught off a top-edge at third man.

Stewart was caught hooking soon afterwards and it was only sensible, disciplined batting, principally by Kendrick, which saved Surrey. The lower order also showed that there was nothing wrong with the pitch.

When Somerset batted again, Mark Lathwell failed for the second time in the match when he was caught at first slip flashing outside off-stump. Five runs later, at 12, Andrew Hayhurst was lbw playing across the line, also off Joey Benjamin.