5 hours ago
16
Key events
WICKET! Gubbins c Pope b Topley 10 (Hampshire 19-2)
Turn my back for five minutes and Gubbins has gone, Topley nastily hooping the ball around. Gubbins jigsaws himself out of the way of one that follows him and gloves behind.
Talking of Raf, I went to the launch of her book The Women in Whites – a history of women’s cricket in England on Monday. Had to leave early to go north but she was very entertaining in her Q and A and the book will be indispensable for anyone interested in the women’s game.
Raf takes us through the runners and riders at the Women’s World Cup, which starts on Friday.
Grey, heavy, cloud at The Oval. Ouch, Gubbins is hit somewhere near the left armpit – immediately drops his bat and rolls onto his back in agony, clutching his chest. Bowler Fisher checks he is ok. He is. Gingerly gets to his feet and carries on.
WICKET! Albert c Pope b Topley 1 (Hampshire 3-1)
Topley get the breakthrough in his second over, fires one in, Albert plays off his hip and Pope does the rest.
Surrey declare, Hampshire need 348 to win
Rory Burns goes for gold.
Lunch - Surrey 259-5 (Sibley 105, S Curran 13) lead Hampshire by 347
What a terrific session for Surrey, 202 runs, spearheaded by a cavalier hit-a-thon by Dan Lawrence. Burns will chew over a declaration with his lunch, while I open the fridge and hope something tasty will appear. Back shortly.
A hundred for Sibley!
Curran joins the six-hitting party by hauling Potgieter into the stands, then Sibley has a go - muscling a hooked six, then purring four through the covers to reach his third hundred of the season. Very nicely done -138 balls, seven fours and two Monday morning sixes. He raises his bat and gets a cuddle from Sam Curran.
Sibley, with an ear on a lunchtime declaration, scorches four past point to move into the 90s.
WICKET! Pope c Prest b Baker 1 (Surrey 219-5)
Pulls off his gloves like man who’s been told to unblock the toilet after bunting a full toss to deep square leg in the search for cheap runs.
WICKET! Lawrence c Brown b Potgieter 101 (Surrey 218-4)
Chases a wide one, and gets a whisper behind. A joyous innings – seven fours, five sixes. Hampshire’s fielders, who sportingly shake his hand as he walks off, have endured 94 off 47 balls in the Blast on Friday, 218 off 190 in the first innings here on Sunday, and today’s 62 ball shellacking.
A second hundred in the match for Dan Lawrence!
After an excellent over from Baker, Lawrence gets the single he needs. Takes off his helmet, grins like a man having the best fun ever. Off just 62 balls- the second fastest hundred ever at The Oval, to go with the fastest double century ever in the first innings. He’s such a fantastic player to watch when he’s on song.
Six singles from Fuller’s first over which ticks the lead over to 300.
Baker is brought back in hope. But Lawrence stills gets him away for another four legside. Great entertainment for those in the stands in the Oval sunshine. Lawrence on 95.
Oh my! First Lawrence walks across his stumps and slams Fuller to deep square for four. Then six, on one knee, with helicopter wrists, and matador arms. 100 percent pure flair.
Lawrence is playing as if he’s on the beach, with a pina colada on hold. Poor Felix Organ just has to take his punishment. The hundred partnership rides past with a cheery wave, off just 92 balls. Swivel, crash, six over deep square. And repeat.
Six for Dom Sibley! Lays into Fuller, with a wayhey with golfing arms to midwicket. Surrey eyeing a declaration with an hour till lunch.
Fifty for Dan Lawrence!
With dancing feet, Lawrence pushes into the offside to reach another fifty – off just 35 balls. He’s averaging an incredible 80.88 at the moment, with four hundreds. And every time he has reached fifty this season, he’s gone on to three figures. Hampshire might just have to grin and bear it.
50 for Dom Sibley!
Sibley and Lawrence are very eager between the wickets now – the 50 partnership comes up in a rapid 53 balls and, with another quick single, there’s another fifty for Sibley – his second of the season, to go with his two centuries.
WICKET! Fisher c Lehmann b Organ 12 (Surrey 69-3)
Fisher lasted 20 minutes this morning before pinging the ball to short mid-wicket. In marches Dan Lawrence, 218 already under his belt this game. Hampshire are scurring through these overs after starting the day on an over rate of -3. They’ve now brought it back up to -1. Surrey 106-3.
Keith Piper dies, aged 56
Some sad news from Edgbaston. Keith Piper, Warwickshire’s long-serving wicketkeeper, has died aged 56, from cancer. He was part of Warwickshire’s treble-winning team of 1994 and at the other end when Lara scored 501, with a hundred of his own.
Piper, who started his career at the famous Haringey Cricket College, took more than 500 catches in his 200-match career, played in seven Lord’s finals, winning three, as well as two Championship titles in 1994 and 1995 and the 1994 Sunday League. He was one of the best wicketkeepers of his time.
In 1997 he served a four-month drugs ban and tested positive for cannabis in the opening round of the 2005 summer, after which he retired. Rest in peace.
The wheels fall off in Dhaka.
Rod Bransgrove steps down as chairman of Hampshire
Bransgrove, the man behind Hampshire’s move to the Rosebowl and subsequent development, has stepped down as chairman, after GMR Global Pte Ltd completed the full acquisition of Hampshire Sport & Leisure Holdings Limited. Kiran Kumar Grandhi, the chairman of GMR, who also own IPL franchise Delhi Capitals, takes over.
Bransgrove has been appointed honorary life president.
Play: Surrey 57-2 lead Hampshire by 145 runs
And on time too. Sibley and his nightwatch, Matt Fisher
Warwickshire sign Manav Suthar
Warwickshire have strengthened their ranks by signing left-arm finger-spinning allrounder Manav Suthar on a short-term contract.
He made his Test debut for India last week, in a one-off Test against Afghanistan, taking six for 33 in the first innings and one for 29 in the second.
He will be available for selection for the next two rounds of the Championship, starting with Warwickshire’s match against Yorkshire at Scarborough on Friday.
The fallout from drinking sessions at the White Horse pub, aka the Sloaney Pony (or so I am told) and the Rex Rooms continues to drift.
Preamble
Hello! The final day of this one-off match unbuttons its shirt. We seems to be drifting towards a draw, especially if the weather intervenes again, but Hampshire have tumbled down the stairs more than once this season. Do join us, umbrella in one hand, espresso in the other, play starts at 11am.
