Surrey went 501-5 against Kent for the eighth most successful chase in first-class cricket history. Photo: Getty Images/Justin Setterfield
It must be humiliating to be considered an anachronism in your early twenties. Pat Boone, when Beatlemania took over America, would have been amazed to find himself as a square archetype, half-human, half-cardigan, in a new age of Scouse wit, Reeperbahn mops and Chelsea boots.
At the age of 24, the House of Sibley embodied all the virtues of a newcomer to the Test of England. When it passed its first test century at Newlands in January 2020, it was praised and described as a solid, robust fix for the recklessness of last summer's choice of flighty Jason Roy for the Ashes.
Eighteen months later, after being tested by angry turners in India, he was thrown off, hesitation in his footwork degenerating into the impression that he had mistook his spikes for diving boots. Haseeb Hamid was chosen instead for the 2021-22 Tour of Australia (I think this decision hurt both men's long-term prospects in the England squad) and by the end of Ben Stokes' first year as Test captain, there was a speculation that Sibley would open under Brendon McCallum Stokes and Rob Key look as out of place as Val Dunican, invited to open the scoring for Motorhead.
However, in the last eight and a half hours of Surrey's victory over Kent at Canterbury, Sibley reminded us of his value. Returning to the county of his childhood, champions and Division One leaders, he hit 140 unbeaten out of 415 innings at a scoring ratio of 27.17 until he reached triple figures.
It was a triumph of concentration and diligence in the sweltering heat and, most importantly, its capabilities were the foundation upon which Surrey built his successful 501-run chase. Only Middlesex in 1925 tracked down more in the championship, another one to be exact, when Patsy Hendren scored 206, Clarence Bruce 103 and Frank Mann 101 at Nottingham, winning by six wickets. No wonder Neville Cardus called Trent Bridge in the twenties «the land of lotuses for batsmen, a place where it was always noon and 360 degrees for two.»
Sibley scored 140 out of 415 balls in 578 minutes in Surrey's successful 501-ball chase. Photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
The land of St. Lawrence is rarely this harmless. Indeed, in Surrey's first innings they reeled to 145 after 42 on six. Nine of Sibley's 58 balls were evidence that the break between first-class matches — this one-format first-team player spent the first weeks of the Blast playing several second XI Twenty20s — stifled any fluency. But that's not really how he and Surrey see their work.
The pompous running speed looks terrible when he gets fired for single figures, even if he helped soften the ball for his teammates. But when he comes in fourth, as he did three weeks ago against Kent at the Oval, scoring 60 of 172 goals, he is the concrete at the heart of the winning scoring.
In partnership building, he is the glue of innings, a strong but slow-hardening contact adhesive in a world of brittle superglue. Tom Latham scored 58 with 87 off Sibley in Surrey's second inning at Canterbury, Jamie Smith hit 114 off 77 in his third wicket of 139 and Ben Fawkes contributed 124 to their partnership of 207 runs.
Sibley was behind all three in scoring, but soaked up more balls, annoyed more bowlers and, most importantly, was still on top when Jordan Clark hit the winning streak.
Surrey's fifth win of the season extended their Division One lead to 32 points, and with only Fawkes being Ash's only chance of being recalled, they have a consistent order spiced up with batsmen of contrasting styles, a multifaceted player of sorts. , an all-season male squad that wins championships.
Sibley will never be pleasing to the eye. The way he drops the ball off his hip is more engaging than all of his throws, pushes and rolls, but they are more effective in long serves, as is his seemingly unflappable temperament.
Sibley hits the beat own drum, sure of who he is and how he plays. Surrey are confident and financially secure enough not to try to force their players to fit in with England's current approach. They persuaded Sibley to return home from Warwickshire, not because they value his tenacity, but simply because they value him.
It would be foolish to write him off as playing cricket at the age of 27, or portray him as such. a sort of King Ludd for the traditionalists. Fashion is changing. However, a diehard player who knows the limits of his abilities and knows how to use them to the maximum effect will always retain his appeal.
As Bazball evolves, as it should, hard thinking remains its enemy. Can stubbornness be defined as a form of aggression? If a player can accept the principles but not the explosive qualities of Buzzball, is Buzzball big enough to accept it?
Discussion Topics
A fourth century of the season for Glamorgan captain Kieran Carlson and his cornerman against tall Second Division pilot Durham made him the top second-tier scorer of the season. A favorite of this column for his punching range that just turned 25 years old, it's strange to find he hasn't sniffed England's acclaim. He lost three times en route to 192 against Sussex in the previous round and twice more to Durham during his 162. Lucky general for Lions winter tour?
After a season of hard work for Leicestershire in 2022, Foxes fans may have thought that Chris Wright's Indian summer at Grace Road was over. But the seasoned seamstress returned to his best record, topping the county's ball and bowling averages, his four of 49 in Gloucestershire's second innings securing their second win of the campaign. An inspiring offensive leader, Wright has the makings of a great coach — his Twitter feed @lifeofchrisw already has some of the most consistent training tips.
Last week Matt Critchley was briefly mentioned here among Lancashire's lost talents. The Red Roses won this week, beating Hampshire by six wickets, but Critchley continues to thrive in Essex, scoring 121, then a quick 52 to set up a declaration and fold two for 46 with his broken legs. This is the sixth time he has broken the 50-point mark this season, more than anyone else in that half-century. A conversion rate equal to Carlson's (four centuries, not half a century) would have left him out of sight.
Weekly indicators
Five of 30 and three of 70 by Matt Fisher against Derbyshire at Chesterfield helped Yorkshire to their first league win of the season and lifted them from last place in Division Two. It's been a long way back from the stress fracture he suffered on his Test debut in 2022, but he's made rapid progress despite the apparent caution with which his captain uses him.
Match of the Week< p>B » Kent vs. Surrey had it all: Sean Abbott's crushing debut, Jordan Cox's and Joey Evison's superb rebound, Wes Agar and Matt Quinn snatched Surrey's top honor, Jordan Clarke's five, Jamie Smith's Blitz, Ben Fawkes' Age of Style, Dom Sibley's Endurance Feat and the first successful chase of over 500 players in 98 years.
Quote of the Week
“It's nice to win the game. I feel like it's been a long time, but it's hard to win.»
«God, where do I start?»
«You feel like we should have won easier, but that's a sign where we are as a team. We end up in winning positions and we can't grab onto them and get a really comfortable win. But we will accept this victory in any case.”
Yorkshire head coach Ottis Gibson after his team snapped a 17-match losing streak in first-class cricket…after almost turning it into a dog dinner.
501: Dominic Sibley inspires Surrey's amazing run chase
Tim Wigmore
Surrey completed the second biggest County Championship run run of all time, chasing 501 to beat Kent by five wickets at Canterbury. The stunning victory joins Middlesex's 502 wins over Nottinghamshire 98 years ago, the only successful chase of over 500 in the history of the competition.
Two days before the start of the Ashes, thrown out English goalkeeper Ben Fawkes hit the century to remind of his qualities. Fawkes, who played 20 Tests and nearly led England to victory during their one-off loss to New Zealand in February, has been sacked as Test goalkeeper to accommodate Johnny Bairstow for a much-debated move.
But Fawkes' 124, deflecting Kent's attack, including fast Indian leftist Arshdeep Singh, brought Surrey to the brink of triumph. Fawkes' innings had 124 innings, indicating the steady accumulation for which he is known and which was his 15th first-class century.
He was supported on the last day by another recently excluded England international: Dom Sibley, who played the last of his 22 Tests in 2021. Sibley has fans in England's management for his tough defensive play, but his ability has shown a player whose style is the exact opposite of the Test team's current method of piracy.
On record day, Sibley scored what is considered the slowest century in county championship history with 511 minutes and 368 balls. But Sibley sped up with Surrey in sight of their goal, finishing unbeaten on 140 of 415 balls.
What an effort from Dom Sibley 👏
Siebs finishes with 140th after 146.1 overs 🤩
So good to have you at home 🏡
🤎 | #SurreyCricket https://t.co/iJKxxiQJOt pic.twitter.com/5Wn4Fa7okE
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) June 14, 2023
«To chase so much and win the game, the boys are buzzing and it's great to stay at the top of the table,» Sibley told BBC Radio London. “Even when we got the 501, it didn't feel like it was beyond our ability as a party. All the talk yesterday and night was very positive.
“It was only about taking the crease, taking the time to get through the new ball. I wasn't in a hurry, and I didn't have to.»
The win cements Surrey's position at the top of the county championship. They have now won five of their first seven matches, plus two draws, and look set to keep their crown. This reinforces the feeling that the Oval may witness a new golden era, along with the one under Adam Hollyoak at the turn of the century. Indeed, the win coming from behind had echoes of Surrey's famous win at Canterbury in 2002 when they bounced back from 208 for seven to chase 410 against Kent.
Yet, while Fawkes and Sibley bolstered Surrey's pursuit with their meticulous centuries, perhaps the most striking was another centurion. On the third day, Jamie Smith arrived at the crease with the Surrey 91 for two in their intense pursuit. Smith scored 114 in just 77 balls, showing the qualities that earned him a call-up to the England Lions last winter when Smith had another fast century against Sri Lanka A. His full England debut over the next 12 months.
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