To check the scorecard of this match, you should refer to Gloucs' 1999 Year Book which agrees with my recollections, but differs from Wisden.
After the first two days of this match Surrey had reached 111-5 in their second innings giving them a lead of 241 with two days left. There had been one comic moment when Herbie Hancock miss-hit the spinner Saqlain Mushtaq. The ball went to a great height, but Saqlain (who only need to takes a couple of steps backwards) misjudged the flight and spilled the catch. Meanwhile Rob Cunliffe had run to the striker's end only to find Hancock standing his ground. A couple of steps would have allowed Saqlain to beak the wicket at the bowler's end but, no doubt rattled by the fielding error, he threw the ball to the keeper, and Cunliffe got back.
Returning to day 3, Courtney Walsh, bowling from the Chapel end to a most attacking field, and Mike Smith with a more conservative one, bowled out Surrey in 40 minutes leaving Gloucs to score 266 to win. During this time, Jack Russell passed Barrie Meyer's record by claiming his 708th victim.
Cunliffe & Hancock began slowly, but after 72 minutes, Hancock fell prey to his naturally attacking tendencies, went down the wicket to Saqlain and was bowled (44-1). Dominic Hewson was caught bat & pad in the same over, so Russell was pushed up the order to ensure an experienced head at the wicket, but was next out (65-3)
After this, Cunliffe & Matt Windows grafted for almost an hour to bring up the hundred at which point the opener was bowled by Ben Hollioake for 53.
Windows & Mark Alleyne saw us to tea at 156-4 after which Surrey sought to apply pressure by reducing the over rate, sending down only 12 overs in the next hour while Alleyne was caught (161-5). & Church departed lbw only two runs later (163-6).
With Martyn Ball now at the wicket Surrey surely thought one end was half open, but the spinner struck the ball lustily (and at times luckily) to bring us within sight of victory at 242-7 At this point, Matt Windows was judged lbw for 60. He received a standing ovation but looked a picture of misery, clearly fearing Surrey might now roll up the tail.
It seemed he might be right when Jon Lewis was lbw for 1 (245-8), but Smith and Ball continued to add runs. The visitors must have been feeling the pressure by now & perhaps because of this Shahid dropped what I thought a fairly easy catch from Ball.
Soon after, Smudge (Smith) hit the winning run & a sizable proportion of the 3,000 crowd spilled onto the ground. Martyn Ball was unbeaten on 60.
That was a day to remember.
Richard West
Memory added on May 10, 2014
Memory added on May 23, 2014
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