Day one of the 28th County Championship Division One game between Yorkshire and Surrey was full of action, but the most prominent aspect was Ben Foakes' great wicket-keeping. His amazing catch to dismiss Jonathan Tattersall was the day's highlight at London's Kennington Oval.
Surrey captain Rory Burns won the toss and decided to bat first. Yorkshire, who were asked to bat, were bowled out for 255 in their first innings. Jonny Bairstow was rock-solid with 89 runs from 114 deliveries. Opener Adam Lyth was also stable with 55 runs. Towards the later part of the innings, Jordan Thompson contributed a brisk 30 runs off 40 deliveries with five boundaries to guide Yorkshire past the 250-run mark.
Surrey's bowlers performed well. Tom Lawes and Jordan Clark each took three wickets. Dan Lawrence took two and Nathan Smith and Matthew Fisher one each.
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Ben Foakes' Blinder Steals the Show
Whereas Yorkshire's batting had the high points, the most impressive contribution came from Ben Foakes behind the wickets. He took four catches altogether, dismissing James Wharton, Adam Lyth, Matthew Revis, and the most discussed—Jonathan Tattersall.
The most impressive of them was in the 33rd over when Jordan Clark came with a short ball to Tattersall. Tattersall attempted to pull but only got a top edge. The ball sailed beyond the stumps, and Foakes, diving full length to his left, took a one-handed catch. Tattersall, who was having a tough time at the crease, got out for a mere 8 runs from 38 balls. The audience at The Oval cheered loudly for the effort by Foakes.
Foakes' catch was caught on camera and went viral on social media shortly after being posted by a user on X (formerly Twitter).
Watch the video here:
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Surrey Off to a Strong Beginning
In response to Yorkshire's 255, Surrey finished Day 1 well at 46/0 in 13 overs. was unbeaten on 27, with Dom Sibley not out on 10. Surrey are now behind by 209 runs and will look to establish a first-innings lead on Day 2.
With a solid batting platform and Foakes at his best behind the stumps, Surrey have it in their favor as they look to start the second day of play.
