Surrey reach 276/8 at the end of a dramatic day at Guildford

This week sees the 800^th anniversary celebrations of the signing of the Magna Carta at Runnymede, a few miles to the north of Guildford. The historic document, which underpins our modern legal system, was the first statute to tackle issues of class and privilege, so it is very appropriate that the lower order of each team yesterday revelled at the Woodbridge Road ground in a show of cricketing equality. Firstly, Surrey's last two wickets added 112, whilst during the late afternoon Mark Wallace and Graham Wagg counter-attacked in stirring fashion, as they shared a stand of 152 in 26.3 overs for the seventh wicket, with Wagg going on to complete his third first-class hundred.


Wagg resumed this morning unbeaten on 116*, level with his career-best score made last summer against Kent at Canterbury. He duly surpassed this with a booming straight drive for four against Tom Curran in the day's opening over as the youngster together with Arul Harinath resumed the bowling in the absence of Chris Tremlett with a calf strain. But Curran ended Andrew salter's stay at the crease with his first delivery of the third over as the youngster was caught behind with the total on 332.


After a single from Michael Hogan, Wagg drove Curran to wide long-on for another four before lofting Harinath over the ropes at mid-wicket for six. Wagg then clubbed Curran to long-on for another four before bringing up the 350 - and another bonus point - by depositing the youngster over mid-wicket for another six. Two balls later he did the same as the ball ended up amongst the traffic in the adjoining Woodbridge Road, before despatching the final ball of the over through extra cover for four to reach 150 from 177 balls.


Wagg also became the first number 8 to reach this landmark, and surpassing the Club's previous best - 138 by Darren Thomas against Essex at Chelmsford in 2001. The flurry of runs continued as Hogan pulled Curran for four and one before Wagg drove and pulled the next two balls for six to long-on and deep mid-wicket. Another single followed before a sumptuous off-drive for four by Hogan took the tally from the over to 22.


Another huge six by Wagg over mid-wicket followed in Curran's next over as the traffic in Woodbridge Road came under danger again, before Wagg brought up the 400 with a four through backward point against Meaker. He then took Glamorgan into the lead by smiting the next ball high over the hedges lining the mid-wicket boundary for another massive six - his tenth and a Glamorgan record, breaking Malcolm Nash's record of nine against Gloucestershire at Swansea in 1973.

Surrey duly took the new ball with Aneesh Kapil returning to the fray but Wagg also smited this into Woodbridge Road for his 11^th six. Hogan then cover drove Curran for a trio of sweetly struck fours from successive balls to bring up the century stand from 63 balls. Wagg then completed a maiden double-hundred with a glance to long-leg for two - his 215^th delivery - but next ball his astonishing innings came to an innings as he lofted Meaker into the hands of Gareth Batty at long-on. This left Glamorgan on 437 with a first innings lead of 31, after Wagg had struck 21 fours and 11 sixes.

Wagg's 200 also equalled the Championship record for the highest score by a number 8 batsman - Dominic Cork's 200 for Derbyshire against Durham in 2000, whilst it was also the first double-hundred for the Welsh county since 2011 when Alviro Petersen scored 210, also against Surrey at The Oval. The tenth wicket stand had added an astonishing 105 from just 11.1 overs. But after this carnage, it was back to normal as Harinath and Zafar Ansari began Surrey's second innings with eleven dot balls as Hogan and Craig Meschede opened the bowling.

Ansari began with edges to third man for two and four against Meschede before a more controlled glance to square-leg against Hogan plus a classical cover drive for four against Meschede, as well as a drive to the ropes at mid-wicket. Wagg then entered the fray for the ninth over and was pulled for four by Harinath. The arrears were wiped off three overs before lunch, with Harinath also inside-edging Wagg to fine-leg for four. Harinath added two further boundaries against Andrew Salter in the final over of a surreal morning as Surrey went to lunch on 45/0.

The lunchtime topic in the Pavilion and in the hospitality tents surrounding the boundary at this Festival venue had been the audacious strokeplay of Graham Wagg, and in a reminder of his talents with the ball, the all-rounder opened the bowling after lunch as Glamorgan looked to make inroads into the Surrey batting.


After a series of one's and two's by Surrey's opening pair, the first incision was duly made by Michael Hogan who ended Zafar Ansari's stay at the crease as the batsman edged a delivery into Mark Wallace's gloves as Surrey lost their first wicket on 56 in the 18^th over. With his side leading by 25 runs, Dominic Sibley joined Harinath shortly before Craig Meschede replaced Wagg at the Pavilion End, whilst David Lloyd came on for Hogan at the Railway End.


Harinath got a thick edge to a drive against Meschede which saw the ball skew away to the vacant ropes at third man before two balls later playing a more assured stroke which sent the ball speeding through extra cover for four. A pair of guided edges for four by Harinath against Lloyd saw him complete his second fifty of the game from 73 balls.

Will Bragg also had a trundle at the Pavilion End, during which Sibley square-drove him through backward point for four before Andrew Salter returned at the Railway End. But it was Bragg who made the breakthrough as Sibley departed l.b.w. with the total on 103 as he was trapped on the crease playing neither back or forward.


Hogan then returned in place of Bragg before Salter nearly caused Harinath to hole out to Chris Cooke at wide mid-off. He celebrated his good fortune by punching Hogan off the back foot through point before Ben Foakes clipped the Australian through mid-on for four. Shortly before tea, Meschede replaced Hogan at the Pavilion End and found the edge of Foakes' bat as the ball squirted away to third man for four. He played a more controlled cover drive for four next delivery before smearing the next ball again to third man, much to the bowler's displeasure. The closing overs at the Pavilion End then saw Wagg return - in slow left-arm mode - as Glamorgan pressed for further wickets.

Resuming after tea on 166/2, Surrey lost a wicket in the opening over of the session as Hogan found the edge of Ben Foakes' bat, to give Mark Wallace a regulation catch behind the stumps. Having been joined by Vikram Solanki, Arul Harinath then closed in on his second century of the game by glancing Graham Wagg to fine-leg for four before glancing Hogan for two to third man to complete a 149-ball century and emulate the feat of Mark Butcher who scored 151 and 108 for Surrey against Glamorgan at The Oval in 2006.


However, four runs later - and with the total on 189 - he departed leg before to Andrew Salter when the off-spinner returned at the Railway End. Three runs later, Aneesh Kapil departed in identical fashion to Hogan. Gary Wilson duly made his way to the middle and clipped his first ball to fine leg for four before slicing a drive through backward point when David Lloyd returned in place of the Australian.


Solanki also cover drove Lloyd before Wilson lofted Salter over mid-on for another boundary, followed by an uppish drive against Lloyd just over the head of Colin Ingram in the gully. The Irishman then square-drove Salter for four through the off-side before surviving a sharp chance at leg-slip as Wagg nearly held onto an edge with Surrey still just 206 runs ahead.


Wilson celebrated in Salter's next over by sweeping the spinner for four before Solanki also clipped him through mid-wicket for four. Meschede then returned at the Pavilion End and was pulled for four by Wilson as the 250 came up on the 71^st over. He then swept Salter for four to reach an invaluable fifty for his side, from 59 balls.


Hogan then returned for the closing overs at the Railway End and the fast bowler made the vital breakthrough as he had Wilson caught behind as he sparred at a rising delivery. 273/6 then became 273/7 as Hogan struck again in his next over as Gareth Batty departed in identical fashion to give Hogan his fifth wicket, but this was not the end of the drama as in the penultimate over Tom Curran was l.b.w. propping forward to Ingram's leg-spin as Surrey ended a remarkable day on 276/8 with a lead of 245 and with the new ball available tomorrow morning, Glamorgan will be seeking to quickly polish things off before mounting a successful run chase to preserve their unbeaten record in the County Championship this year, and to end Surrey's unbeaten record.