Event of the Day: Nottinghamshire versus Surrey
Our event of the day is Day 2 of the Division One County Championship fixture between Nottinghamshire and Surrey at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. This top of the table clash sees Surrey look to extend their lead at the top of Division One over second place Nottinghamshire. Surrey showed the form that has seen them go unbeaten in their current campaign on Day 1. Devastating bowling has been a regular feature of their season, and Sunday was no different. They put in a dominant fielding performance to bowl Nottinghamshire all out for 210. Morne Morkel was on fine form, taking 4-60. This was followed by a terrific Surrey batting display, leaving the Division One leaders 223-1. Mark Stoneman recorded seventeen fours on his way to 86. Captain Rory Burns hit an unbeaten 97 and will be hopeful of notching up his fourth century of the season as Surrey aim to build on their first innings lead. If they continue in this rich vein of form, they could be out of sight by the second innings.
Nottinghamshire will be disappointed with their somewhat timid display. They sit second in the table after a solid season. However, they couldn’t find the form that has seen them record convincing wins over Essex and Worcestershire, putting in a limp batting performance. Harry Gurney top scored for Notts with just 29. Victory for Surrey would further enhance their chances of winning the County Championship for the first time since 2002. With the 19-time champions formidable form this season, few would bet against them. Will Surrey run riot or can Nottinghamshire mount a fightback?Honourable mentions around the globe go to the opening MLB fixture in a three-game series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. Both sides top their respective divisions, so a game of the highest quality is in store. Further MLB action can be found across the United States: the Chicago Cubs host the Arizona Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field, the Pittsburgh Pirates travel to the Cleveland Indians and the Tampa Bay Rays play the New York Yankees. Elsewhere in the USA, Day 1 of the Atlanta Open gets underway on the ATP World Tour. There’s additional ATP tennis taking place throughout Europe, with the opening day of the German Open in Hamburg, and the Swiss Open in Gstaad. The UEFA Under 19 European Championships continue in Finland with England playing France and Ukraine facing Turkey in the final round of group fixtures. Additional County Championship Division One matches enter their second day, with Lancashire versus Yorkshire at Old Trafford and bottom of the table Worcestershire against Somerset at the County Ground, New Road, Worcester. The second test between Sri Lanka and South Africa enters its fourth day, with Sri Lanka needing five wickets to take a 2-0 series lead.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!