Unhappy Adams looking to future as season falls apart

LAST Sunday, the scene of Surrey's solitary championship victory of the summer was also the setting of the Brown Caps' most spineless display of the season to date.

After losing the toss and being skittled out for a paltry 134 by Northants, the visitors were then flayed for nearly nine runs per over as the Steelbacks cruised home with comfortably more than half their overs to spare.

Niall O'Brien finishing with an unbeaten 81 off 46 balls, which included 12 fours and three sixes.

The eight-wicket drubbing at Northampton came on the back of what had been another determined rearguard in the four-day clash between the same sides, at the Brit Oval.

Needing to bat for most of the final day to earn a face-saving draw, Surrey were indebted to the watchfulness of Matthew Spriegel, Chris Schofield and Alex Tudor.

After the match, the Brown Caps' Professional Cricket Manager said: "They showed some character and some fight. That, to me, is success. It's not a win, we know that, but I can see progression and I can see improvement.

"What supporters want to see is points on the board, but I did say at the start of the year that my only goal this year was to make sure I got the environment on track and right, and put some foundations in place.

"I'm absolutely 100 per cent satisfied that's now in place."

Just as a crucial to the outcome was Jonathan Batty's first century of the season, on the opening day. Adams acknowledged the importance of his want-away keeper's innings.

He said: "Jon's a good player isn't he. He's a good pro and a good player and he played a crucial innings. It seems to me that we know where our deficiencies lie at the moment. That's the inability to bowl sides out twice, and in the first instance bowling sides out in the first innings for less than what we've posted.

"That's been very difficult since the loss of Andre Nel and Chris Jordan, but you can only work with what you've got at any given time.

"You try and get the best out of the lads. I anticipate, next year, that the lads who have had opportunities this year will be stronger and better players for it. We aim to recruit as well as we possibly can without panic buying because, equally, I don't just want to bring anybody in.

"I want to bring in the players who will be right to play predominantly six games at the Oval in championship cricket, as well as the one-dayers."