Mixed emotions as Rob inspires victory

For Rob Keogh, Northamptonshire’s historic win over Surrey was a bittersweet moment. Keogh scored an excellent 99 as the Steelbacks reached 322 to record their highest ever successful run chase against Surrey in first-class cricket.

Keogh looked assured until he fell agonisingly short of a well-deserved century. As a hostile Jordan Clark took five wickets, it was left to teenage debutant James Sales, son of former club captain David, to smash the winning boundary with only two wickets in hand.

Keogh said: “It's the first time I've got out in the 90s and it's sort of bittersweet. If you'd have offered me 99 and we win, I'm snapping your hand off but to experience it and get so close to another 100 that could have turned out to win the game, was tough to take. But watching the way Luke Procter gritted it out once I got out and Adam Rossington took it to them a bit and then junior [Sales] coming in and hitting the winning runs was nice to see.”

Surrey had tailenders Amar Virdi and Gus Atkinson to thank for setting such a steep target after both made career best scores in a last-wicket stand of 83. Jamie Smith hit a fine century in the first innings.

Surrey Head Coach Vikram Solanki said: “We’re very disappointed to come out on the wrong side. We had a plan to make sure we were disciplined in the way we went about things. I thought we did that. You see the example of Jordan Clark. To run in as he did on an unresponsive pitch, to bowl the number of overs he did, and to bowl as he did, was outstanding.

“I think we got done by the pitch to some extent, that’s not taking anything away from Northamptonshire, they played very well to chase down 320. It’s pretty impressive. So, all credit to them. We gave a good account of ourselves; we just didn’t have enough unfortunately.”

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KEY MAN: Rob Keogh

Additional optional paragraph on David Ripley if you’re not running this as a news in brief elsewhere in the paper:

David Ripley announced that he will step down as Northamptonshire’s Head Coach at the end of the season after ten years in the role. He will shift focus into a different coaching role within the club.