The Durham county cricket team were given a comfortable draw with Surrey in their County Championship Club match at the Kia Oval. Emilio Gay’s electrifying batting performance was a key factor in this class day four success. The opener clobbered a match-winning 156 not out. This impressive powerhouse performance included an unbroken opening partnership of 262 runs with fellow opener Alex Lees. That partnership between the city and County—particularly its activism—allowed Durham to flourish and eventually fight for its survival. It established a new Surrey opposition record for the highest stand for any wicket, surpassing the previous mark of 183 runs by Will Smith and Scott Borthwick in 2013.
Emilio Gay’s innings was a pleasure to watch, and was characterized by an aggressive, confident, organized batting style. He let loose with a record setting 25 fours during his unbeaten innings of 156. His first run scoring shot being a pungent edge through the slips off Surrey fast bowler Matt Fisher for four. Over the course of the game, Gay displayed some poise, creativity, and technical ability that was really impressive. He took his side through to safety by sensibly batting through the last cumbersome overs.
Surrey had little joy in trying to get past an intimidating opening stand for Durham. Their potent team attack was relentless and aggressive, but it’s hard to say they looked likely to bowled anybody out. One member of Surrey’s bowling unit expressed frustration over their inability to capture the last wicket of Durham’s first innings quickly.
“If we had got their last first innings wicket really quickly after an 11am start then it would have made the situation a lot better for us, but we gave it everything for an hour or two to try to make inroads in their second innings.” – Rory Burns
Surrey’s bowlers looked in fine form with the ball throughout the match, especially in Durham’s first innings. They thought their past performances showed what they could do. On a flat square with the Kookaburra ball, they knew they were impossible to stop.
“I think we showed in their first innings just what we are capable of as a bowling attack with the Kookaburra on a good surface, and we’ll take a lot from that going forwards.” – Rory Burns
With the game now winding down, Gay and Lees did not make risky moves. Instead of trying to make big plays, they focused on controlling the clock and playing it safe. Like that stealthy sideline play, this strategy definitely worked because they made sure Durham went away with a tie.
The result carried large meaning for both clubs. For Durham, this draw was enough to keep the season rolling forward after an up-and-down campaign. It showcased their potential and provided a platform for future performances. At the same time, Surrey wanted to learn from their inconsistent bowling display against Durham and get it right going forward in order to be most effective.
Emilio Gay’s excellent score of 114 was the highlight of the day’s play. He was able to pile up more runs showing that he was the real deal as top-order batsman. It was his batting alongside Alex Lees that clinched Durham’s survival. It further underscored their capacity to engineer damaging innings in tense moments.
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