Marcus Hook’s Surrey CCC column: County Championship title race tightens up ahead of Monday’s big clash in Taunton

With Somerset beating Durham and the match between Surrey and Notts ending in a draw, the gap between first and second in the County Championship has reduced by 11 points to 24, lending added spice to Monday’s meeting between the two main challengers, next up, at Taunton, where Somerset’s spinners took a combined 15 wickets last weekend.

As the next round of matches coincides with the end of the third and final Test against Sri Lanka and the start of the white-ball series with Australia, the South Londoners will be without all of their England players.

However, Surrey are said to be working on a deal to sign Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who bowls left-arm spin, for a one-off appearance to backfill for Will Jacks, who recorded career-best figures of 7-129 at Trent Bridge, where Notts racked up 405 in response to the Oval outfit’s 525.

Even with bat dominating, there’s no denying the advantage the Kookaburra ball gives the twirlers. Notts off-spinner Farhan Ahmed also cashed in to become the youngest bowler (at 16 years and 192 days) to take 10 wickets in a first-class fixture in England.

The previous youngest was WG Grace, who was aged 16 years and 340 days when he took 13-84 for Gentlemen of the South v Players of the South at The Oval in 1865.

Surrey head coach Gareth Batty – a spinner himself during his playing days -isn’t a fan of the on-off trialling of the Kookaburra ball (instead of the Dukes) in the championship.

“I have no problem with what the use of the Kookaburra is trying to achieve,” said Batty, after both sides had shaken hands on a draw at Trent Bridge.

“I just don’t like [what it means for] the integrity of the league over 14 games with different balls. It is very strange. It’s almost like playing a round of Premier League games next week with no offside rule.”

One man who could do with facing the Kookaburra ball right now is Ollie Pope, who has hit just two 100s and two 50s in 18 Test innings in 2024, and only reached 25 on one other occasion.

The Surrey batter, who is skippering England in the absence of Ben Stokes, will no doubt relish the chance to put things right at The Oval, where the final Test against Sri Lanka starts on Friday and where the 26-year-old averages 80.64 in first-class cricket.

“I’ve been frustrated with my batting this year,” said Pope. “But I know how good a player I can be. Form comes and goes, but the best players are the ones who can draw a line under it.

“The way that I start my innings is something I want to keep on improving. And then, when I do get in, it’s about trying to cash in as well.”

“There’s a lot of voices, a lot of guys who want to have their say – some past cricketers as well – and that’s completely fine.

“Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but it’s important for us as a team and me to keep trusting the people around me.”

I just think Popey needs to take a leaf out of Joe Root’s book in terms of the extent he embraces Bazball. Root was also guilty of getting out to an awful shot at Lord’s, but not before he had made 143 and 103.