Meaker makes Championship debut

Congratulations to Stuart Meaker who made his Championship debut for Surrey against Nottinghamshire at The Oval on September 17. Stuart made 16 and 6 and took 3 for 86, taking the new ball in Nottinghamshire’s only innings.

His opening spell of 4-1-6-1 was impressive, although Jonathan Batty, Surrey’s keeper, might disagree. Stuart’s fourth ball skidded through, Batty failed to take it cleanly and fractured one finger and dislocated another, ending up in hospital having an operation. He took his first wicket when Will Jefferson nicked one to stand-in keeper Scott Newman who made a complete horlicks of the chance, but the ball spilt from his gloves and looped to Usman Afzaal at second slip.

Stuart’s second and third spells on the first day were less rewarding, although in fairness to him by then a woeful Surrey side were shipping runs at an alarming rate. On the third morning he grabbed two more wickets.

The feeling was that he showed real promise but was still, understandably, quite raw. His pace was impressive, so much so that he looked quicker than the dismal Shoaib Akhtar, and especially early on, he got a few to rip through. He certainly has a good future ahead of him but Surrey need to manage him carefully and play down some of the wilder predictions. As he came on to bowl, one voice in the pres box piped up that he “had been clocked at 100mph”!

Stuart’s was the first Championship appearance by an OC since Maurice McCanlis played for Surrey against Lancashire at The Oval in July 1926, his only county appearance. He opened the bowling and took one second-innings wicket.

Stuart also took one wicket on his first-class county debut against Loughborough UCCE in April, and so his four wickets at 34.75 means he is the leading OC wicket-taker in first-class cricket, moving ahead of Nigel Paul who took three. Perhaps that is not something to write home about!

He also made his FP Trophy debut in April and the weekend before his Championship bow, he played his first Pro40 match, taking 1 for 57 against Leicestershire.