Surrey 637-7 (163 overs), Hampshire 73-2 (27 overs)

HAMPSHIRE conceded the biggest total made by a visiting side at The Ageas Bowl as Surrey continued to dominate the Specsavers County Championship relegation scrap. 

Surrey finally declared on 637-7, the biggest total against Hampshire since Somerset’s 654-6 at Taunton in 2008 - and the second-highest in 15 years at The Ageas Bowl - shortly after tea on day two.


Hampshire closed on 73-2 having recovered from the loss of two early wickets to Mark Footitt.

Captain Will Smith was bowled for a golden duck  and then Jimmy Adams clipped straight to mid-wicket in the left-armer’s second over. 

Ryan McLaren, batting at No4 in place of Liam Dawson, was dropped twice - on two  and nine - on his way to 31 in an unbroken third-wicket stand of 68 with Tom Alsop (29*). But Hampshire still require 414 to avoid the follow on.

Not since Hampshire’s all-time record 714-5 (v Notts, 2005) has a side dominated so much with the bat at West End.

Hampshire’s bowlers toiled in intense heat after Surrey resumed on 332-4, following a 208-run opening stand between Rory Burns (122) and Dominic Sibley (99) on day one.

After three wickets during the morning session, Ben Foakes and Gareth Batty embarked on a record partnership.

Their unbroken 222-run stand surpassed Ian Greig and Martin Bicknell’s 205 against Lancashire at The Oval in 1990 as Surrey’s highest eighth-wicket alliance.

Foakes made a career-best 141 not out (181 balls, 18 fours, one six), while Gareth Batty’s unbeaten 110 (145 balls, 14 fours, two sixes) is the Surrey captain’s first century for a decade and the third of the 38 year-old’s career.

Mason Crane bowled 51 overs and showed excellent control from the Hotel End before his hand was raised by Sean Ervine, in recognition of his marathon effort, when he had finished his 50th.

The 19 year-old leg-spinner was finally given a breather after conceding 29 from three overs after switching to the Pavilion End as tea approached.

Foakes and Batty capitalised on the short leg-side boundary, before finally declaring two overs into the day’s final session.

Hampshire had already lost ground on Surrey during the first 110 overs.
When the bonus-point threshold was reached, Surrey were 376-5, having won the toss.

That gave them four points to the home side’s one, putting them eight above bottom-of-the-table Hampshire, who have a game in hand. 

But it soon got worse. After the left-handed Sam Curran (16) become Hampshire’s third wicket of the opening hour of day two, stumped off fellow teen Crane, the home side failed to take a wicket from the last 41.4 overs of the Surrey innings.