Hampshire fight on, but in trouble at the Oval
Hampshire lived to fight another day against champions Surrey at the Kia Oval, but are still facing a heavy defeat after losing three top-order wickets in the 32 overs eventually bowled in south London yesterday following overnight and early-morning rain.
Resuming 177 runs behind at 31-2 in their second innings, Hampshire slid further to
116-5 on the shortened third day of their Vitality County Championship fixture – still a deficit of 92.
James Vince and Tom
Prest were dismissed within four balls of each other after resisting for 20 overs in a gritty 46-run stand following the early loss of Nick Gubbins, caught in the cordon off Dan Worrall.
Prest fell for 23 – caught in front of his face by Ollie Pope as he pushed hard at a ball from Gus Atkinson.
And then ex-england Test batsman Vince, who reached 26 after resuming on four, was beaten by an in-swinger from Kemar Roach and departed legbefore to leave Hampshire in real trouble at 87-5.
Liam Dawson (18 not out) and Ben Brown (7 not out) saw out the final overs with Surrey’s seamers still very much on top.
Play had finally begun at 4.30pm after heavy overnight rain had ruled out any prospect of cricket before lunch and then further light showers in early afternoon had delayed further mopping up operations.
But it took Worrall only 10 balls to add to his overnight scalp of Ali Orr, with Gubbins edging one angled across him to second slip. Gubbins, out for 10, had added only four.
Prest knuckled down and was soon into double figures with driven fours as he and Vince did their best, for over an hour, to defy Surrey’s fourpronged pace attack.