Video - SANGAKKARA AND DAVIES DOMINATE FIRST DAY

From Surrey County Cricket Club - KIA Oval

KUMAR SANGAKKARA (112*) AND STEVEN DAVIES (109*) DOMINATED THE OPENING DAY AGAINST GLAMORGAN IN CARDIFF. THEY SHARED AN UNBROKEN FOURTH WICKET PARTNERSHIP OF 213 AS SURREY CLOSED ON 363-3 WITH SANGAKKARA MAKING A CENTURY ON HIS SURREY DEBUT.

Surrey won the toss and decided to bat first on a bright but chilly day in Cardiff. Zafar Ansari and Rory Burns made their way to the middle knowing there would be early movement and they would be tested by the new ball pairing of Graham Wagg and Andy Carter.

The Surrey openers started solidly, showing excellent technique and judgement of which deliveries to play and which to leave alone. Ansari struck the first boundary of the day and Burns looked in control as he was tested by Wagg with a couple of searing short deliveries.

The openers settled and Ansari played the shot of the morning when he drove Craig Meschede straight down the ground to the long off boundary. Burns after batting with great discipline played a couple of handsome shots through the covers as the runs began to arrive and the openers hard work paid dividends.

Together Burns and Ansari moved Surrey through the opening hour of the summer as the fifty partnership arrived. Together they removed the early pressure from the Glamorgan bowlers and both batsmen grew in confidence as the runs began to flow.

The introduction of spin saw Ansari punch Dean Cosker to the cover boundary and Burns played a couple of handsome shots off Wagg as the partnership moved past 100. Burns moved to his fifty from his 92^nd delivery, an excellent innings that had contained nine crisply struck boundaries.

Wagg finally made the breakthrough in the over before lunch when he had Burns caught behind for 50 to leave Surrey 104-1. Sangakkara on his debut saw out the rest of the over as Surrey went to the interval with Ansari 47* and Sangakkara yet to get off the mark.

After the interval Sangakkara scored his first runs for surrey but Ansari fell for 48 when he was LBW to Carter. Kevin Pietersen came to the middle and immediately looked settled as Sangakkara found the boundary with a sublime drive through the covers.

Pietersen greeted Cosker by using his feet and lofting him straight down the ground for four and Sangakkara was quick to punish anything slight off a good line or length. Pietersen moved to 19 with no great alarms but he then looked to drive Meschede and the ball flew off the outside edge straight to Colin Ingram at first slip to leave Surrey 150-3.

Davies joined Sangakkara and an elegant partnership immediately developed. Davies look in wonderful form finding the boundary with some pleasing shots as Sangakkara continued his business at the other end.

Sangakkara moved Surrey past 200 with a perfectly timed cut shot off David Lloyd to the cover point boundary as the fifty partnership arrived. The runs started to flow as Sangakkara moved to his fifty from his 83^rd delivery with a flowing shot off Carter.

Together Sangakarra and Davies steered Surrey to the tea break with the scoreboard reading 227-3. After the interval Sangakkara played a couple of glorious shots off Cosker and Davies moved to his fifty from his 87^th delivery as the hundred partnership arrived.

Sangakkara continued to look at his silky best but also played a brutal shot off Cosker straight down the ground for six to the River End. Sangakkara was in complete control of proceedings as he glided into the 90’s and then brought up his fifthcentury in his last six innings with another gorgeous drive. His first century for Surrey had come from 162 deliveries and had been a masterclass.

The fourth wicket partnership dominated the final session as Davies continued to score his runs with elegance. He raced through the 70’s and 80’s playing some wonderful shots off both front and back foot. His 9000^th First Class run took him into the 90’s and he moved to his century from his 154^th delivery. It was an innings that had contained 15 crisply struck boundaries and no little patience and skill.

Surrey moved past 350 as the 200 partnership arrived and Sangakkara and Davies made sure the day belonged to Surrey by finishing unbeaten with the scoreboard reading 363-3.

A tremendous opening day of the summer and Surrey’s batsmen will look to press home the advantage tomorrow on an excellent pitch in Cardiff.

STEVEN DAVIES SPEAKS ABOUT HIS CENTURY AND HIS PARTNERSHIP WITH KUMAR SANGAKKARA IN THE VIDEO BELOW:-