Report & Reaction: Surrey v Hampshire Men, Rothesay CC

Day Four

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Nick Gubbins and Toby Albert were Hampshire’s heroes as they denied Surrey’s last day attempt to force a first victory of the new Rothesay County Championship season at the Kia Oval.

Gubbins scored a five-hour 117 and Albert an equally defiant 78 not out as Hampshire, starting the day on 35 for three in their second innings in pursuit of a 377-run win target, finished on 300 for five.

Bad light actually had the final say, forcing the players from the field for what turned out to be the loss of four overs, when 10 overs were left and Hampshire were still 78 short of what would have been a remarkable triumph against the reigning champions.

With just six overs left when the players returned, Jordan Clark sent down two balls – one of which was hit for a single by Albert – and then the players shook hands on the draw.

In 22.2 overs with the second new ball, Surrey had restricted Hampshire to 80 runs for the loss of Gubbins and run-scoring was difficult against a high-class pace quartet in which Matt Fisher and Clark were especially impressive.

Earlier, it took Surrey almost an hour and a half to claim their only wicket of the morning session, Fletcha Middleton given out leg before by Matt Fisher after advancing steadily from his overnight 11 to 42.

Middleton’s fourth wicket stand with Gubbins had been worth 74 and provided Hampshire with much-needed stability following the chaotic slide to 30 for three in the murk of the third evening, when Kemar Roach had removed opener Mark Stoneman and both nightwatchmen, Brad Wheal and Sonny Baker, had fallen to Jordan Clark.

Better was to come for Hampshire, with Toby Albert – who had laboured through 27 balls for just one run before lunch – joining Gubbins in a partnership that eventually realised 143 in 52 overs, and which grew in authority during an afternoon session in which Surrey went wicketless.

From 121 for four at lunch the fifth wicket pair combined watchfulness with sensible accumulation and the odd flash of aggression, such as when Gubbins went to 83 with a superb square cut four off Fisher and Albert reached 44 by reverse sweeping Dan Lawrence’s off spin to the ropes.

By tea, Gubbins, three short of his hundred, and Albert, who had gone to his half-century from 111 balls, looked in total control as Hampshire contemplated the final session of the game at 216 for four, but with the second new ball due in two overs’ time.

This was duly taken by Clark and Dan Worrall, although by then Gubbins had reached his 20th first-class century from 215 balls in what was a chanceless, superlative performance after coming in on a Clark hat-trick.

27 runs came from the first nine overs with the second new ball, with Clark particularly miserly, and then Fisher replacing Worrall at the Vauxhall End brought an almost immediate reward.

Looking to whip a ball from around the wicket that appeared to keep a little lower than expected, Gubbins was trapped lbw after facing 247 balls and hitting 12 fours, perhaps the best of them a magnificent on drive off Worrall that took him to 114.

Day Three

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Sonny Baker claimed his maiden First-Class five wicket haul but Surrey set up a winning position against Hampshire on day three of the Rothesay County Championship match at the Kia Oval.

Jamie Smith’s 84 from 113 balls provided the most eye-catching strokeplay as Surrey moved from their overnight 136 for one to 342 for nine declared – setting Hampshire to score 377 to win.

And then, in 16 overs of bowling before stumps, Surrey reduced Hampshire to 35 for three with Kemar Roach pinning Mark Stoneman lbw for three and both Brad Wheal and Sonny Baker, sent in as nightwatchers, dismissed by Jordan Clark.

Wheal resisted stoutly for 27 balls before being bowled for nine, shouldering arms, and Baker could only fend off a nasty lifter to second slip, which he was adjudged to have gloved.

Baker, the 22-year-old fast bowler signed from Somerset last winter, earlier reached near-90mph speeds against Surrey’s lower order to claim 5 for 80, his maiden five-wicket County Championship haul.

It was Sibley, however, adding 105 to his vital first innings unbeaten 100, who took most of the plaudits as he featured in stands worth exactly 100 with Ollie Pope (65) and 108 for the third wicket with Smith.

The 29-year-old opener had anchored Surrey’s batting effort over both innings and had been on the field for the entire first two and a half days when he tried to hit Liam Dawson’s left-arm spin for six and just failed to clear deep extra cover on the ropes.

Sibley also became the first Surrey player since Kumar Sangakkara in 2017, against Middlesex at Lord’s, to hit two Championship hundreds in a match.

Surrey began day three 170 runs ahead at 136 for one, with both Sibley and Pope already past 50 and, for the best part of an hour, Hampshire’s bowlers kept a tight rein on the scoring rate while also winkling out Pope courtesy of a sharp legside catch from keeper Ben Brown when the England batsman attempted to flick away a rising off-cutter from Kyle Abbott.

Smith, however, got away quickly with crashing boundaries off Brad Wheal and Baker and only the introduction of Liam Dawson’s steady left-arm spin from the Vauxhall End brought Hampshire any modicum of control as Smith cruised to 45 by lunch with Surrey 224 for two.

Sibley, having added 33 in the morning session to reach 88, completed his second century of the match – and the 24th First-Class ton of his career – with two runs to fine leg.

Ben Foakes came and went for one, hitting Brett Hampton to short mid-wicket and there was then a near two-hour delay for bad light and rain from 2.45pm, when Surrey were on 282 for four and 316 runs ahead.

Some of Smith’s strokeplay was sumptuous although, on 24, he did edge Baker just short of slip before regaining the initiative by hoisting the same bowler high over mid-wicket for six.

One on-driven four from Smith, off Hampton and taking him to 68, was perhaps the shot of the day but he was then out to the first ball he faced following the weather interruption, swinging Baker high to deep square leg where Tom Prest took an outstanding low catch diving forward.

Baker then had Dan Lawrence caught down the legside by Brown for 23 before yorking both Clark (1) and Matt Fisher (2) with pacy inswingers. He was on a hat-trick after having Dan Worrall caught behind first ball, but Roach kept him out and the declaration came at the end of the next over with Ryan Patel unbeaten on 30.

Day Two

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A trio of Surrey stars part of England’s past, present and possibly future put the defending champions in charge on day two against Hampshire at the Kia Oval.

Dan Worrall, who played ODI cricket for his native Australia back in 2016, but now a naturalised Briton, again suggested he might be a shout for the winter Ashes series down under with 3-37 as the hosts bowled out Hampshire for 219.

England’s current men’s Test vice-captain, Ollie Pope (56 not out), a little short of runs in his first three innings this term, struck a 67-ball half century, while teammate Dominic Sibley, a man of the pre-Bazball era followed his century of the opening day with 55 not out, the pair sharing an unbroken stand of 80 before bad light brought a slightly premature close at 136-1.

For Hampshire, Tom Prest and Nick Gubbins both got beyond 40 without pressing on and they will see this as a chance missed.

Overnight batters Gubbins and Mark Stoneman struck a crisp boundary apiece in the opening two overs of the morning, but thereafter excessive caution rendered them all-but stroke-less against some naggingly accurate bowling from Worrall and his fellow seamers.

The score crept into the 80s as runs became a trickle before drying up altogether. Matthew Fisher twice whistled the ball past the flailing blade of Stoneman and pressure told as Gubbins tickled one from Dan Lawrence around the corner to Pope at leg slip.

Worrall then trapped Stoneman in front with a full delivery and when Toby Albert edged Jordan Clark to Lawrence at third slip, three wickets had fallen in 47 balls for only six runs.

Such was the batters’ stranglehold, when Prest flashed one over third slip’s head for four it marked the first boundary for 26 overs.

Hampshire emerged from lunch with a different mindset marked by four boundaries in the first nine balls, more than in the whole first session.

Dawson though soon perished, given out lbw to Fisher, and skipper Ben Brown spurned a reprieve when dropped at slip by Sibley, edging the next ball to the safe hands of Ben Foakes.

At 118-6 Hampshire were looking at a sizeable first innings deficit, but Prest and New Zealander Brett Hampton played positively, the latter caressing a wide, full ball from Roach to the extra cover fence.

A 50-run stand was in the offing when Hampton fell for 26 made at more than a run a ball, when the umpire adjudge Ollie Pope to have grabbed a fine low catch at slip from one which ballooned off the pad.

Worrall returned to have Prest caught by Patel at short leg from a ball which flew off the meat of the bat and would have left the young batter in need of emergency dentistry had he not got his hands up in time.

The fact Surrey’s lead was limited to 34 owed much to Abbott’s swashbuckling 37, including a six over backward square, Lawrence ending his revelry with one which turned to bowl him through the gate.

Abbott made the breakthrough when Surrey batted a second time, trapping Rory Burns lbw, but not before the openers had added 56 with few alarms.

Sibley batted with greater fluency than 24 hours earlier, though surviving a close call for a run out before moving to 50 from 90 balls with seven fours.

Pope soon followed suit, propelled to the landmarks with the aid of successive sixes off Sonny Baker, the latter stroke just clearing the fielder at wide third.

Day One

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Surrey opener Dom Sibley carried his bat for the sixth time in his career and made an unbeaten century to rescue the champions against Hampshire on day one of their Rothesay County Championship match at the Kia Oval.

The 29-year-old was unbeaten on 100 when Surrey were bowled out for 253 after being put in.

Hampshire lost Fletcha Middleton (5) to a fine ball from Dan Worrall which nipped back to hit middle stump in the second over of their reply, but Mark Stoneman and Nick Gubbins took them to 55 for one from 16 overs at stumps, 198 behind.

Hampshire have lost their last four games at The Oval and haven’t won there for 17 years, but their attack justified skipper Ben Brown’s decision to bowl first on a typical Oval pitch that started with a good covering of grass.

Their seamers shared eight wickets with Brad Wheal (4 for 64) the pick of their attack, but they couldn’t remove Sibley.

He carried his bat five times for former county Warwickshire and only Geoff Boycott (8) has now batted through a completed innings in the County Championship more times since the Second World War.

Sibley offered one sharp chance on 54 which was put down by Toby Albert at short leg, but otherwise he accumulated with typical patience and determination.

There was some assistance throughout the day for Hampshire’s seamers, but they were aided by some poor shot selection too. Surrey will feel their total was under par for the conditions.

Sibley lost his opening partner Rory Burns in the second over when Wheal found just enough seam movement and the Surrey captain edged to second slip. Kyle Abbott then picked up Ollie Pope (14) who edged a delivery he might have ignored to first slip.

The most aggressive stroke play of the day came from Jamie Smith, whose 39 off 35 balls included seven fours, three of them lashed in one over from the New Zealander Brett Hampton.

Smith had helped Sibley take the score to 96 when he upper-cut Wheal to third man and Sonny Baker parried the ball just inside the boundary rope before completing the catch.

Hampshire confirmed it had been their morning in the last over before lunch when Ben Foakes (14) played on to Abbott.

Wheal got just enough away movement to defeat Dan Lawrence’s loose drive and leave Surrey 129 for five, but Sibley found a useful ally in Ryan Patel for much of an absorbing afternoon session.

They added 68 in 29 overs for the sixth wicket before Patel mis-timed a pull off Hampton and lobbed up an easy catch to Stoneman at mid-off in the penultimate over before tea.

In a rare show of aggression Sibley calmly swatted Liam Dawson over the wide long on boundary but at the other end Jordan Clark (3), Matthew Fisher (8) and Kemar Roach (4) fell cheaply after tea and when last man Dan Worrall came out Sibley was still 15 runs short of his century.

Another six, this time off Wheal over square-leg, took him into the 90s and with Worrall, who has made two fifties in his career, looking comfortable at the other end Sibley duly reached the 23rd hundred of his career before taking the acclaim of a crowd of 5,639.

He batted just shy of six-and-a-half hours, faced 217 balls and hit nine fours as he became the first Surrey batter since Burns in 2017 – also against Hampshire – to carry his bat.