http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Somerset-c843 vs Surrey – County Championship Division One – Pietersen displays his class on tricky surface
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Surrey-c851 ended day 1 against Somerset on healthy note, posting 317 on a tricky surface before reducing the hosts to 42 for 2 at the County Ground, Taunton, August 28, 2012.
Out of contention for the national team duties, the 32-year-old issued a substantial statement of his own in the midst of controversy regarding his international future. With Surrey ruling out any prospect of interviews, Pietersen took it upon himself to get back the support of the English fans after receiving plenty of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Hampshire-c789.
He arrived at the crease to a mixed reception, with his side somewhat stuttering at 44 for two. However, what followed was an imperious 163-run effort, which finally forced the 2000-odd spectators at the venue to warmly greet his 45th first-class century, with KP duly accepting it by raising his bat.
No other batter remotely reached close to his stupendous ton, with the second best-scorer being http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SI-Mahmood-c2523’s fourth victim.
Mahmood, the loan pacer from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Andrew-Symonds-c44611.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gareth-Batty-c1456 and Stuart Meaker before finally getting the prized scalp of the native South African.
Surrey further cemented their hold on the proceedings in the final hour of play after getting early wickets of Somerset’s skipper, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Arul-Suppiah-c1084 – the former caught and bowled by Meaker, while the latter edging behind off Jon Lewis.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Christopher-Patrick-Adams-c50949, the Surrey director of cricket, was left to admire KP’s knock ahead of showdown talks with ECB over his international future.
“Kevin looked as good as he ever has," said Adams. "There are unresolved issues and the sooner there is a solution the better for everyone, and particularly Kevin himself. My job is to make sure he is in the right frame of mind to play well for Surrey. He has been superb in our dressing room."
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