A richly deserved century for Rory Burns

SAM DALLING AT TAUNTON: Whether his idiosyncrasies have hampered him at the very top level - when Burns is good, he is very, very good, but there is so much to go wrong that it can be horrid - his value to Surrey is immeasurable

After yet another tuck of his hips, the Surrey balcony rose to applaud their captain’s efforts.

Rory Burns, who had just reached three figures for the 23rd time in red-ball cricket, bowed, accepting the richly deserved plaudits. His innings ensured it was very much advantage Surrey at the mid-way point in their game at Somerset. 

After then book-ending a Peter Siddle over with boundaries, a daddy hundred beckoned. Roelof van der Merwe came into the attack and turned his first ball a smidge back into Burns. It was maybe less than the batter anticipated, as out came a poke. Lewis Gregory took the catch at slip. 113 and done then. Surrey already had a first innings lead, and he was just fourth out.

Will Jacks (88) and Jordan Clark (63 not out) ensured there would be no momentum shift. Ominous for Somerset, who finished 202 in arrears. Ominous for the rest of the top-tier too.

Burns' knock was one of leadership, and became all the more important given his overnight partner Hashim Amla retired not out due to illness. Amla tested negative for Covid-19 and so may resume at some point. That would be demoralising for Somerset’s fielders who looked bedraggled as the sun set across the Quantocks. They looked resigned to what is to come: an uphill paddle to save face.

^{Rory Burns in action [Harry Trump/Getty Images]}

Burns knew little about his opening boundary, an inside edge off Craig Overton. That came last night and today barely mis-stepped. Siddle was driven straight, worked through mid-wicket and caressed through the covers. Gregory was clipped leg-side, Aldridge clipped the same side but finer.

Fifty came up with a pulled six off Siddle that was a little 'top-edgy' and he moved from 80 to 84 with a genuine outside edge off Kasey Aldridge - Somerset’s first concussion substitute - that split Tom Abell and Tom Lammonby. That just after the ball had been changed having failed the 'ring test' 42 overs in. By Dukes’ 2022 standards, that is a marked improvement.

Burns’ technique always has been, and will always be, unique. There is a shuffling, there is fidgeting, there is a little head drop - a la the Churchill dog - as the bowler makes his jump. But there is also little arguing with his effectiveness. 

His methodology has brought 11,000-plus first-class runs and 32 Test appearances. Whether his idiosyncrasies have hampered him at the very top level - when Burns is good, he is very, very good, but there is so much to go wrong that it can be horrid - his value to Surrey is immeasurable.

When his team last claimed the title in 2018, Burns topped the run-scoring charts with 1,359 at 64.71 - 373 more than his nearest teammate (Ollie Pope). That form led to an England debut, and is not inconceivable he will feature again.

Burns enjoys escaping the capital for some west country air too: his run of red-ball scores on this ground, going back to 2018, reads 78, 107, 78, 55 and now 113.

Earlier, Craig Overton had been withdrawn. The ECB’s guidelines recommend that a test for delayed concussion is carried out, and Somerset followed those. In came Marchant de Lange, a second replacement used in England for the first time.

Whether de Lange had a point to prove - Somerset named just one of their three registered overseas (Rilee Rossouw completing the tryptic, although he was never likely to play) - who knows. But a seven-over burst before lunch began with four maidens. It was quick, it was accurate and it was threatening.

^{Will Jacks also impressed with the bat [Harry Trump/Getty Images]}

Ben Geddes coped well, relative inexperience or otherwise. He, like the other batters, realised the value of leaving outside off stump. If a pound was donated for every time a home supporter muttered something akin to 'our boys could learn a thing or two from this', well, the ECB would not be in financial strife.

There was a special moment for Aldridge who secured his maiden first-class wicket, Jamie Smith giving Steve Davies a catch. And after Burns fell, Jacks accumulated steadily. Any notion that Jacks will end up a white-ball specialist can be quashed. This was an excellent knock.

His escape shot comes from the flick off the legs, with his boundaries predominantly scored on the offside. Except when de Lange dropped short: thrice he was pulled imperiously where even the lengthy boundary could not save the bowler. De Lange eventually got his man, and Abell too enjoyed dismissing Jamie Overton late on.

Day two here was a Monday by the way. As social media highlighted, Somerset do not play another LV= Insurance County Championship day on Saturday or Sunday this season. Remember, it is not even mid-June. In fact, they have just two days (one T20 and one 50-over) of weekend action at home in all formats. If you push something to the peripheries, don’t then have the nerve to suggest it is under-attended.

Naturally then, the crowd was down from Sunday. But there was a visit from several esteemed guests: a pair of Peregrine Falcons perching a-top the floodlights. JY and JN have made home the nearby St Mary Magdalene. Whatever their presence signalled, it was not favourable to the hosts. Another pleasing Surrey day.

Related Topics

• Championship Digest: Monday, June 13, 2022