Essex Bowls Out Surrey for 183 in County Championship

In the County Championship match at Chelmsford, Surrey was bowled out for 183 runs on the first day of play. Zaman Akhter took three wickets for 36 runs, while Sam Cook, returning from the England squad, claimed three for 41.

Surrey struggled throughout their innings, with Thomas top-scoring at 43 runs. The team lost wickets quickly, including Rory Burns and Ben Foakes, as Cook made an immediate impact upon his arrival. After bowling out Surrey in 54 overs, Essex faced a brief batting spell before bad light halted play, finishing the day at 10 for 1.

Essex trails Surrey by 173 runs with nine wickets remaining. The match saw contrasting performances from Cook and Ollie Pope, who managed only 13 runs before being dismissed.