Vintage Ealham rolls back years

Mark Ealham will be 36 next month, yet continues to offer full value as a county all-rounder. The puzzle is how Kent failed to appreciate it.

Two years ago, Ealham sought to extend his 14-year stay with Kent but was offered only a one-year contract, Kent showing scant respect either for his loyalty or his 72 appearances in an England sweater.

Nottinghamshire offered a three-year deal and, halfway through, see themselves as clear winners.

Since his arrival at Trent Bridge, in all forms of cricket, Ealham has scored almost 1,900 runs at an average above 33 and taken 100 wickets at less than 28 runs each, a record which is better than that achieved by the England all-rounder Paul Collingwood over the same period.

What is more, his reputation as a handy man in a crisis remains intact, as he demonstrated again yesterday with the innings that finally put daylight between the sides in a contest of few runs and many wickets.

Ealham's 55, including nine boundaries, enabled Nottinghamshire, who were still 24 adrift of Surrey's paltry 136 when their sixth wicket fell on Wednesday, to forge a lead of 90, which looked more than handy when Surrey lost their third second-innings wicket for 75 yesterday, shortly before rain put the match on hold 40 minutes after lunch. The visitors will begin day three just three runs ahead.

The partnership between Ealham and Greg Smith added 51 for the ninth wicket before Martin Bicknell dismissed both, the veteran Surrey seamer finishing with a season's best of 6 for 56. Not for the first time this season, Surrey showed their irritable side, the fast bowler Azhar Mahmood repeatedly coming down the pitch to have words with Smith.

When Surrey batted again, Andrew Harris trapped Richard Clinton in front, Ryan Sidebottom produced a peach of a ball to dismiss Mark Ramprakash, and a brilliant catch by Graeme Swann accounted for Scott Newman for 40.