England’s forgotten men pile on runs for Surrey

Three Surrey cricketers in England’s top six at the Old Trafford Test meant opportunities for others to shine against Lancashire — a chance seized upon ravenously by Rory Burns, in particular, and also more poignantly by Ben Foakes as the county champions underlined their enviable depth.
For Foakes, especially, an excellent 82 in a 197-run partnership with Burns, who played with huge determination and dedication to the cause for a career-best 227, was of huge personal satisfaction on a day when Jamie Smith, the Surrey colleague who has taken over England’s wicketkeeping duties from Foakes, was scoring his maiden Test hundred.
Burns, who opened in 32 Tests for England between 2018 and 2022, ­reverse-swept and cut Tom Hartley’s left-arm spin for successive fours to go in style past his previous best, an unbeaten 219 against Hampshire seven years ago, and there was even a slog-swept six, besides 29 fours overall, in a magnificent 7½ hour effort.
Sadly for Lancashire, however, the only team to have beaten Surrey in 27 championship games at the Kia Oval since August 2020 — a 123-run victory in June last year — it was a sobering day as Surrey racked up 444 for nine declared in reply to their sub-par 204 of Thursday. Strangely, too, for someone who played in five England winter Tests in India, Hartley bowled just five overs — for four runs — in the first 69 overs of Surrey’s innings.
Remarkably, meanwhile, such is ­Surrey’s squad power, there were still five batsmen or batting all-rounders with Test experience in Surrey’s top six on Friday despite the presence of Smith, Ollie Pope and Dan Lawrence in England’s present line-up.
Dom Sibley, though, managed just two more runs to his overnight 37 before shouldering arms to Will Williams, while neither Will Jacks nor Sam Curran made the most of their own first red-ball knocks of the summer.
Jacks did strike two sixes over a short off-side boundary, the second of them a mis-hit which just carried, before drilling another expansive drive straight into extra cover’s hands on 31, while Curran had reached only eight when he pulled Tom Aspinwall to mid on.
Curran, at 26 surely England’s best candidate to succeed Ben Stokes at Test level, even perhaps as a future captain, might benefit in career terms from playing a full part in Surrey’s championship run-in rather than appearing in more white-ball internationals.
He played the last of his 24 Tests three years ago, but it is his first-class record of 3,258 runs and 207 wickets, at averages of 30 with both bat and ball, which most accurately represents a ­talent far too valuable to waste.
Utilita Bowl (second day of four; Hampshire won toss): Essex have scored 404 with two first-innings wickets remaining against Hampshire
Although the entire first day’s play had been washed out, the pitch did not sweat under the covers overnight on account of a blustery wind (Ivo Tennant writes). Even so, it was greenish in hue and Hampshire took a risk-averse decision in fielding first. The true nature of the conditions was much to the liking of Jordan Cox and Dean Elgar, who made centuries, and the captain, Tom Westley, who justified his viewpoint that Essex would have batted had he won the toss.
Elgar reached his century off Kyle Abbott, a South African compatriot, his innings of 136 including 16 fours and a short-armed flicked six off John Turner. He put on a partnership of 154 off 174 balls with Cox, who had been released by England at Old Trafford and was able to strike the ball more assertively once the attack was less potent, hitting 141 off 124 balls including 18 fours and two sixes. Westley contributed a dogged 64.
Meanwhile, off the field Hampshire are continuing to examine potential investment from businesses and franchises in India, including the Delhi Capitals. No deal has been signed yet and Rod Bransgrove, who stood down as the club’s chairman at the end of last season, may remain a significant shareholder. He will continue as chairman of the Hampshire Sport & Leisure Group.
The entire business, which carries some £60million of debt, is valued at more than £100million. Bransgrove and his family trust own significantly more than 60 per cent of the shares, the rest being held by directors and several minor investors, including David Gower, who played for the club at the end of his career and still lives in the county. Hampshire would prefer not to cede control of their team, which is why they turned down a substantial offer from the subcontinent two years ago.