Dom Sibley posted an unbeaten half-century as Surrey fought back after losing early wickets in their County Championship Division One clash against Essex at the Oval. Opener Sibley shared a 105 partnership with Ollie Pope, who looked in good touch for 69, his third consecutive 50-plus score for Surrey after losing his England Test spot during the winter.
Germany dominated the first half, creating numerous chances but only managing to score once through Kai Havertz's penalty after a handball. Despite their wastefulness, they maintained pressure throughout the match.
Raphael Veiga's 20th-minute strike was enough to separate the two sides on Tuesday, though the Union squandered multiple chances to level the tie in front of their home fans. After a quiet start from both teams, Veiga scored with the first shot of the match. He flicked up a pass from Brian Rodriguez before lashing his powerful attempt in off the crossbar, leaving Andrew Rick with no chance of making a save.