HAMPSHIRE V SURREY - Specsavers County
Championship - 18 July 2016
Surrey 637-7d. Hampshire 73-2.
Gareth Batty and Ben Foakes both scored centuries
as Surrey piled on the runs and the records to drive relegation
rivals Hampshire into the ground.
Batty and Foakes, 110 and 141 respectively, added
a county record 222 for the eighth wicket as the visitors declared
on 637 soon after tea.
In response Hampshire crumbled to 5 for two before
recovering slightly to 73 for two at the close - still a massive 564
runs behind.
Left armer Mark Footitt was the thorn in
Hampshire's side - bowling Will Smith for a golden duck with his
first delivery, kissing the top of off stump.
Start of his second over he strayed slightly
towards leg stump but Jimmy Adams clipped straight to Stuart Meaker
at mid-wicket, the hosts up against it following five session in the
sticky heat.
Meaker ended his first spell of seven overs two
for seven.
Ryan McLaren, boosted to a nose bleeding inducing
no.4 in the order, got away with two edges to the slips, dropped by
Aaron Finch and Rory Burns, to reach 31 at stumps, ably accompanied
in a 68 run partnership by Tom Alsop.
The hosts had just about edged a tight morning
session as they grabbed three wickets as they hunted for bowling
points.
Steven Davies was leg before to Gareth Berg and
Finch, on a blustery 86, was lbw to McLaren.
All-rounder Sam Curran completed the trio of
wickets to fall when he trundled down the track to give Lewis
McManus his second stumping of the game.
But that was it in terms of smiles for the home
side as the watched as runs flowed and records were broken.
Foakes, who is an outsider to solve the England
wicket-keeper conundrum, did his international chances no harm as he
appeared to bat without pressure.
The former Essex man was setting set new personal
records, passing 2,000 Championship runs, 2,500 first-class runs and
just before the declaration his highest format score - ending up on
141.
His fifty came off 102 balls, the next 50 needed
just 47 more deliveries as he stepped through the gears - finding
the boundary 19 times.
It was his sixth century, his skipper Batty was in
the process of just his third - his career spanning 14 years more.
Batty had not scored a ton in 209 matches, dating
back to 2006 and days in a Worcestershire shirt.
His was of an aggressive where possible type,
enjoying two sixes clattering the stands, the much waited for three
figures arriving in 132 balls.
In amongst all the run making was Mason Crane,
forced to bowl a mammoth 51 overs in the sweaty weather - his
analysis three for 210.
A dropped catch at first slip by Sean Ervine and a
tired miss-field with the third new ball summed up the day, the
declaration could not some soon enough.
The final score of 637 became the second highest
total in the Ageas Bowl's 13 year history - and left Hampshire
needing 488 to avoid the follow on.
Surrey wicketkeeper Ben Foakes: "It was a very
good day and it was important for us to get a good first innings
score and boss the game and I think we have done that. I have got a
lot of stats this season and not gone on for whatever reason so it
was nice to do it in this game - hopefully it will kick me on for
the rest of the season.
"At one stage we were just looking at 400 for the
extra bonus point but we forgot about that to get a big score.
Battsy stuck with me to get a hundred. He's a great bloke to have at
the other end. He enjoys batting despite what he would tell you and
I am pleased for him.
"From what we found with the new ball we knew it
would do a bit so it was good to get some in roads there - Footy
bowled really well. We will toil a bit for tomorrow and see what
happens. When you have 600-odd on the board it is a bit daunting and
you know you have to bat well. Hopefully that puts us in a good
position."
Hampshire director of cricket Giles White: "It was
a very long day in the field. It is tough on a good wicket on a good
wicket to bat on. I'm pleased with the way the bots stuck to their
task but they are in a good position in this game.
"We rallied well from the early wickets and
hopefully McLaren and Alsop can pile on a big partnership which is
what we needed. We were looking to bat time and it was a good
opportunity to dig in and get some big scores. We have a big batting
line up and we have to make use of it.
"We bowled a lot of overs as a group and Mason
stuck to his task. He is a young bowler learning all the time. It
wasn't offering him a lot but he bowled well. If he was a bit
luckier he could have got a few more wickets.
"Ryan has been batting as well as anyone and we
felt with Liam being away for this game it is a like for like swap.
It looks a good wicket and played that way but as the game goes on
it might get uneven, hopefully for us it stays as it is.
"At this stage of the season playing for a draw is
important for us. We will do everything we can to get that result."
TEA REPORT
Surrey batsman Ben Foakes did his England hopes no
harm by reaching an unbeaten 135 - as the visitors ground Hampshire.
He was joined on three figures by captain Gareth
Batty in a record breaking afternoon at the Ageas Bowl.
Surrey broke records for their highest score at
the Ageas Bowl and highest eighth wicket stand - as the visitors
piled on 662, Foakes and Batty adding 207.
Foakes, who went past 2,500 first class run,
reached 135 at the break his century coming in 149 balls. Batty's in
132 balls and included two massive maximums, the captain on 101 at
tea.
During the wicketless afternoon session, Mason
Crane chalked up his 50th over of the innings.
LUNCH REPORT
Gareth Berg, Ryan McLaren and Mason Crane took a
wicket each to keep Hampshire in the game but Surrey strode past 400
to cement their advantage on the match.
Berg was the first to strike in the morning
session when he had Steven Davies plumb in front for 25 in the third
over of the day - become the seamers' third scalp of the match.
Aaron Finch, who was almost out to Brad Wheal's
first ball of the day attempting to flick off his legs, continued
his punchy streak from day one.
The Australian added 30 to his overnight before
becoming McLaren's first of the match - another to fall leg before.
The excitable Sam Curran breezed 16 before he was
stumped by Lewis McManus but Ben Foakes and Gareth Batty took the
visitors to 445 for seven at lunch.
GO TO:
BACK TO:
|