Nic Pothas may have lit up the gloom with his third championship hundred in four games for Hampshire. But, for the most part, yesterday, the visitors went into their shell against a Surrey attack which is much the poorer for being shorn of Martin Bicknell and Jimmy Ormond’s services. Nevertheless, Hampshire gave the appearance of a team that do not believe they can win this year’s championship title, and would therefore be content with avoiding their tenth defeat in a row against the Oval outfit. Going into the final day, just 24 runs separates the two sides, consequently the visitors are looking at nothing less than a draw. But quite what their tactics do in terms of generating interest in the county game takes some fathoming.

The lure of international cricket could not be greater, however, and with Australia seemingly in need of a genuine all-rounder, it will not have escaped the attention of their detractors that there is currently one playing at The Oval. But even if Shane Watson’s 88 in 191 deliveries was the innings of the day, in terms of entertainment value it probably left those who travelled to SE11 in preference to watching the fourth Ashes Test in the comfort of their front rooms feeling short-changed.

On a docile pitch Watson and Crawley overcame the early loss of the Hampshire openers the night before with a responsible stand of 107 in two hours before John Crawley was leg before to Saqlain Mushtaq, attempting to sweep a ball of full length. His partner progressed to a 107-ball half-century and at lunch the visitors were back in contention at 145 for three.

Nine overs into the middle session Jono McLean was lbw to a toe-crunching yorker from Mohammad Akram, who appeared to be a different bowler to the one that ambled up to the wicket in Surrey’s previous match, against Gloucestershire. That was in the 56th over. The hosts were to make further inroads in the 66th and the 76th.

Watson’s measured innings ended in an uncharacteristic fashion, when the 24-year-old drove loosely at Nayan Doshi and was easily snapped up at short extra cover. Greg Lamb, who had survived two concerted appeals for leg before in an over from Doshi, was eventually caught at short leg when the ball looped up off bat and pad. But, thereafter, Pothas and Mascarenhas gave no hint of surrendering their wickets.

The pair shared in an unbeaten stand worth 129 runs in 32 overs before Shaun Udal decided to have five overs at Richard Clinton, who remains on a pair, and Scott Newman who, today, will be receive his first eleven cap from the Surrey captain Mark Butcher, as indeed will Rikki Clarke.

Pothas, who brought up his fifty off 91 balls with a cover driven four off Tim Murtagh, reached three figures in 143 deliveries with a six over mid-wicket off Doshi, whom he had earlier landed in the bottom tier of the Members’ Pavilion before despatching to the extra cover boundary the very next ball.

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