Left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore continues to impress in his short County Championship stint with Surrey. Signed on a two-game contract, the 28-year-old made a big impact in Surrey’s match against Durham at Chester-le-Street on July 31 (Thursday), picking up his maiden five-wicket haul in the County Championship and finishing the match with seven wickets overall.
Impressive Performance with the Ball
In the first innings, Sai Kishore dismissed Bas de Leede and Ollie Robinson, playing a key role in restricting Durham to just 153 runs. Surrey then capitalized on the bowling effort with the bat, posting a strong first-innings score, thanks to Ryan Patel (58), Dan Lawrence (88), and Jordan Clark (82). The visitors took a commanding 169-run lead heading into the second innings.
Sai Kishore truly stole the show in the second innings, bowling nearly 42 overs and delivering a superb spell to return figures of 5/72. He was instrumental in wrapping up Durham’s innings, claiming three of the last four wickets as the home side slumped from 311/6 to 344 all out.
Surrey in Control of Division One
With just 176 runs needed to win, Surrey find themselves in a strong position to secure another victory and extend their lead at the top of County Championship Division One. Before this match, Surrey had won three and drawn seven of their ten games.
This performance follows Sai Kishore’s impressive outing in the previous match against Yorkshire at Scarborough, where he picked up four wickets. Currently a part of the Gujarat Titans (GT) setup in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the spinner is making the most of his County opportunity, showcasing control, consistency, and wicket-taking ability in English conditions.
His stellar performances are a timely reminder of his potential and may open more doors in red-ball cricket, both domestically and potentially at the international level.
