Alsop stars for Hants’ survival specialists
Surrey 329 & 23-0 Hampshire 582-9d - Stumps, Day Three
IT’S been a season with little to cheer on the south coast as Hampshire again find themselves battling relegation, but the blossoming of the talented Tom Alsop has been one definite entry in the credit column.
Settling into his new role as his county’s regular number three, the 20-year-old is beginning to deliver on the bright promise he showed for England U19s in the Youth Test series of 2014.
Alsop’s maiden first-class century at the Oval on Wednesday in his 14th match is a major milestone in the left-hander’s fledgling career and follows a ton against the same opponents in the one-day cup earlier this summer and 93 against Nottinghamshire last month.
It was, as he breathlessly put it, “the stuff that dreams are made of”.
“I can’t put it into words really. I got pretty close to it at Notts a few weeks back and after getting out there, I thought I might not get another chance, with a few games left until the end of the season. Today I just tried to take it ball by ball and I’m over the moon.
“I got my first one-day hundred earlier in the season, but I really just wanted to get a Championship hundred and thankfully it’s happened.”
If Division Two cricket beckons for Hampshire next season, it will be a shame if it impedes Alsop’s development. This game has offered a stern test of his temperament and technique set by a relentless Surrey pace attack. It was an examination Alsop passed, if not with flying colours – he offered three chances on his way to his ton – but showed that he can prosper at this level.
If the innings marked a coming of age, Alsop fully deserved every run of his eventual 117. He came to the crease during a hostile spell from Tom Curran and found no respite when Mark Footitt and Stuart Meaker had the ball.
Not the most patient person by his own admission, he applied himself in a testing period after tea as Surrey exerted real pressure, going scoreless for nearly 40 balls after reaching his first 50 at just over a run a ball.
“They bowled very well after tea,” he said. “It was just a case of trying to get through that and almost earning that bad ball and thankfully they did come.”
He was severe on anything wide and short, making use of the pace off the pitch.
“It’s quite flat, but early on Tom Curran made it difficult work, especially for left-handers nipping it away. And when you’ve got the likes of Meaker and Footitt who can run in and bowl at nearly 90mph, it’s difficult whatever track you play on, so they definitely made it hard. There was no real break.
“It came on quite nicely and I’ve always quite liked having a bit of pace come on and the wicket did suit my game.”
Off the field, the biggest blow at the Ageas Bowl this year has been Michael Carberry’s diagnosis with cancer and Alsop was keen to dedicate his innings to a man he regards as both mentor and friend.
“He’s helped me a lot through the Academy, I go to him for all types of advice.To see what he’s gone through is pretty tough for everyone. I’d like to thank him for every- thing he’s done for my game, and everyone’s with him.”
Alsop credited Sean Ervine – with whom he shared a partnership of 88 in 22.4 overs – with being a calming influence.
“He was brilliant. Especially to have someone like him down the other end who’s done it multiple times and he helped me take my mind off it by just trying to get up in 5s in the game and thankfully we did that. I’m enjoying batting at three. I’ve scored a lot of runs there. Looking on it from last year, where I didn’t get any first-team cricket.”
Batting in bright sunshine, the conditions Alsop faced were a stark contrast to those in which Surrey’s centurion Rory Burns compiled his innings on the first day.
Under gloomy skies with three interruptions for bad light, Burns made 101 from 207 balls, Ben Foakes and Gareth Batty eventually helping to take the hosts past 300.
Some brutal hitting from the Hampshire tail, led by Sean Ervine with a magnificent unbeaten 158, as they set up the declaration against a tiring Surrey attack on a flat surface.
Ervine passed 1,000 first-class runs for the season, Gareth Berg took three sixes and a four off one over from Batty, while Gareth Andrew took two maximums and two fours off one over from Mark Footitt who finished with 6-161 in 34 overs.