Roundup: Surrey sole winners in rain-hit round
Surrey supercharged their season with the only win of a damp round, thrashing Hampshire by an innings and 11 runs just before lunch. Elsewhere, the remaining six games petered out into draws, undone by the rain and pitches subdued by the wettest 18 months on record. From four rounds of matches, there have only been seven victories – two for Surrey and Essex, who share 71 points at the top of Division One, and one each for Durham, Middlesex and Sussex.
The game at the Oval ended as it began, with a wicket for the Dan Worrall-Ollie Pope combination. The final catch was a double-handed, dandelion-floating swallow dive to his right at second slip which equalled the Surrey record for outfield catches in a first-class match, matching Tony Lock’s eight against Warwickshire in 1957. And all with his sunglasses stuck firmly to his cap. Worrall grabbed five wickets in Hampshire’s second innings and led the players off with eight for 91 in the match.
Adi Birrell, Hampshire’s first-team coach, admitted afterwards that, having lost four early-season games at the Oval in succession, it was “a mental thing … it’s certainly been a struggle for us coming to the Oval in recent years”. He added: “We knew what we were going to come up against here but we have to try to find a way to deal with it.”
At Chester-le-Street, Callum Parkinson picked up his first five-fer since joining Durham, while Essex’s Nick Browne collected his first Championship hundred of the year. A draw was ensured once Warwickshire had avoided the follow-on against Nottinghamshire, with Jacob Bethell winkled out by Olly Stone seven short off what would have been a maiden first-class century. Half-centuries by Tom Lammonby and Andy Umeed ensured Somerset were safe against Worcestershire.
In Division Two, Peter Handscomb was run out for 99 and Rehan Ahmed hit 85 as Leicestershire collected maximum batting points. George Scrimshaw took his first two wickets since joining Northamptonshire and Ben Sanderson pocketed his 500th wicket for the club, after a mammoth mopping-up job at Grace Road allowed the game to start on time
On a hybrid pitch at Bristol, Gloucestershire were set 331. They lost early wickets but Ollie Price’s 52 not out steadied the ship against Middlesex. Derbyshire ensured a draw against Yorkshire at Headingley thanks to a hundred from Wayne Madsen and 97 from Aneurin Donald.
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And that is that! One win from seven games this round – and seven wins from four completed rounds. Thanks for your company, as ever, despite the rain.
Leicestershire go into May top of Division Two, Surrey top of Division One. I’ll be Old Trafford on Friday, let’s hope the weather plays ball. Good night!
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