Josh Blake steered Surrey closer to Hampshire’s first innings total with an incredible century and kept this Second XI Championship fixture at New Malden finely poised.
Watching wickets fall at regular intervals from the other end, the skipper glued himself to the wicket and scored a gusty 142 from 232 balls, which included 17 fours and one six, as Surrey closed on 304 for nine, trailing by 51 runs.
Day two started with Ben Geddes and Arjun Gill walking out to begin the hosts’ reply. John Turner got the better of Geddes early on, getting him caught in the slips for five.
Gill and Blake came together to deny Hampshire any more wicket-taking opportunities and took Surrey safely to 104 for one by lunchtime. Gill played the role of the aggressor in the alliance, moving to his fifty stylishly as he launched left-arm spinner SL Davis – for the second time in quick succession – over mid on and past the rope for a six.
A run short of 100, their brilliant partnership was ended in the afternoon session by Turner, who had Gill caught in the slip cordon for a well-made 64.
The next to go was Ollie Sykes as seamer EC Martin found the left-hander’s outside edge for six, leaving Surrey 137 for three. From here on, Hampshire consistently chipped away with wickets, although Stuart van der Merwe (15), Adam Thomas (10), Yousef Majid (13), and Nathan Barnwell (17) got starts.
One batter Hampshire couldn’t get near was Blake, who had taken Surrey past 250 by the time their seventh wicket fell in the form of Barnwell.
The skipper relished shouldering responsibility and kept finding the rope with glorious shots, especially with his driving through the off-side. He brought up a well-constructed hundred with a late cut-off Davis for a couple.
Before Blake holed out to mid-off the bowling of JA Wright for a battling 142, Wright had also removed lost Tommy Ealham for one.
Matt Dunn and Amar Virdi, however, didn’t let Hampshire bowl Surrey out, with the latter also striking four boundaries and taking Surrey past 300 with his entertaining cameo of 17 not out off 7 balls.
Surrey will resume day three 51 runs behind Hampshire, with the game still in the balance.
