After not conceding a bye in a 160-over Warwickshire innings, Ben Foakes made a career-best of 174 not out to save the match for Surrey.
Tom Latham (184), Ed Barnard (177 not out), and Zen Malik (105 not out) helped Warwickshire amass 665-5 before Alex Davies declared the innings closed on the second afternoon at Edgbaston. For Surrey, Tom Lawes claimed 2-107 and Dan Lawrence 2-131, but it was Foakes’ wicketkeeping that made the headlines.
Foakes – who has not played Test cricket for England since the India tour of 2023/24 – did not concede a single bye in the 160-over Warwickshire innings. In first-class matches in England, this was the largest total since 2007 without a bye.
Read: Ben Foakes: Wisden Cricketer of the Year – The Almanack
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Match 43, Warwickshire vs Surrey
Ben Foakes follows wicketkeeping record with massive hundred
Foakes, however, was far from done in the match. He came out to bat at 188-3, and saw Surrey quickly slump to 217-5. Cameron Steel (55) helped him put on 113 for the sixth wicket before the lower middle order caved in. Last man Matthew Fisher joined Foakes at 346-9, and with a day’s cricket left, Surrey were 369-9.
However, Foakes and Fisher thwarted the bowling, putting on 158 – a new record for the last wicket against Warwickshire. They came within touching distance of 173, the Surrey record for the last wicket, set by Andy Sandham and Andy Ducat against Essex at Leyton in 1921. Foakes and Fisher finished third on the all-time Surrey list (Andrew Needham and Robin Jackman had added 172 against Lancashire at Manchester in 1982).
Read: Adam Gilchrist: Ben Foakes is the best wicketkeeper to spin bowling that I’ve ever seen
Fisher finally fell for 40, leaving Foakes stranded on 174, his highest score in first-class cricket and 17th hundred in the format. Two of these have come in Test cricket. Surrey were eventually bowled out for 504, short of the follow-on mark, as Rob Yates returned 3-124. They had to bat again, but there was not enough time left for Warwickshire to force a result. They made 15-0 in five overs in the second innings.
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