Surrey’s Rory Burns and Arun Harinath make first Championship hundreds as Middlesex struggle

by Tom Moore, at the Kia Oval Friday, August 17, 2012
6:29 PM

Middlesex (232 and 45-1) need 209 more runs to beat Surrey (144 and 341)

Surrey's Arun Harinath celebrates reaching his first century for the county. Picture: Matthew Impey/EMPICS Sport

Rory Burns and Arun Harinath scored their maiden hundreds at Championship level as Surrey left Middlesex needing a further 209 runs to win.

The pair set a partnership record of 217 for the second wicket against the north Londoners and both completed their maiden tons.

Gareth Batty had Chris Rogers LBW with little more than two overs before the close to give the south Londoners hope going into the final day with their rivals on 45 for one and Sam Robson and Tom Smith the not-out batsmen.

The Surrey pair of Burns, resuming on 40, and Harinath, returing on 39, quickly put the home side into the lead.

Toby Roland-Jones of Middlesex picked up a five-fer against Surrey. Picture: Matthew Impey/EMPICS Sport

And it wasn’t long into the day that the pair brought up their 50s needing 109 and 110 balls respectively to reach the milestone.

The pair then brought up Surrey’s fifth hundred partnership of the season – a telling statistic with the south Londoners struggling in the Championship.

Harinath kept going and posted his highest championship score – beating the 63 he scored against Middlesex two years ago.

Burns did the same, beating his 79 against Nottinghamshire this season and they took the into the 200s.

The wicketkeeper was the first to reach his maiden championship hundred – turning Malan into the leg side to reach his ton after 192 balls.

Just three balls later Harinath did the same to Denly to reach three figures for the first time in a Surrey shirt – the ton coming off 178 balls.

The duo carried on until lunch, going into the break on 210 for one.

They reached the 200 partnership 10 minutes after lunch – the first of the season.

The partnership was broken after 217 runs in the 72nd over as Harinath edged Steven Crook to Adam Rossington, who palmed the ball to Chris Rogers – departing for 109 and bringing Zander de Bruyne.

But the new ball brought about a mini-Surrey collapse as they lost four wickets for 28 runs in less than 13 overs.

Toby Roland-Jones claimed the wicket of Burns with the 10th delivery with the new cherry, having the batsman adjudged LBW for 121 as Surrey lost their third wicket with a lead of 175, with former captain Rory Hamilton-Brown coming in to bat.

The dismissal of Burns brought about a collapse as the Middlesex paceman had his second wicket of the day in four balls as he lured de Bruyn forward to edge to Rogers at slip.

Six balls later, Hamilton-Brown departed for two, LBW to Roland-Jones, leaving Jason Roy with Steven Davies.

Roy was next to depart, LBW to Crook for 17 in the 92nd over of the innings.

Roland-Jones grabbed his fifth wicket, sending Gareth Batty’s off-stump cartwheeling with the lead at 218.

Murali Kartik came and went, departing for two LBW off the bowling of Crook.

Davies, who had compiled an excellent 44, was then caught in the deep by Crook off the bowling of Murtagh.

Jade Dernbach was in as the last man and he only lasted three balls, caught by Denly off the bowling of Tom Smith giving Middlesex a target of 254 to win.

Rogers and Sam Robson strode out to the middle and the latter survived a scare early on after a loud appeal from the home side.

Despite the scares, the opening pair made a promising start, racing to 26 off the first five overs with Dernbach coming in for punishment – his first three overs going for 21 runs.

The vital breakthrough came when Batty had Rogers adjudged LBW – the Australian was furious with the decision.

Nightwatchman Smith came in at three again and he survived until the close leaving the game finely poised.