Nick Gubbins and Toby Albert were Hampshire’s heroes as they denied Surrey’s last-day attempt to force a first victory of the new County Championship season at the Kia Oval.
Gubbins scored a five-hour 117 and Albert an equally defiant 78 not out as Hampshire, starting the day on 35-3 in their second innings in pursuit of a 377-run win target, finished on 300-5.
Bad light actually had the final say, forcing the players from the field for what turned out to be the loss of four overs, when 10 overs were left and Hampshire were still 78 short of what would have been a remarkable triumph against the 2022, 2023 and 2024 champions.
With just six overs left when the players returned, Jordan Clark sent down two balls – one of which was hit for a single by Albert – and then the players shook hands on the draw.
In truth, however, and despite Tom Prest being unbeaten on 32 alongside Albert, it had seemed increasingly unlikely that Hampshire could have scored the remaining runs anyway against a testing Surrey seam attack in gloomy conditions and with the floodlights on.
In 22.2 overs with the second new ball, Surrey had restricted Hampshire to 80 runs for the loss of Gubbins and run-scoring was difficult against a high-class pace quartet in which Matt Fisher and Clark were especially impressive.
Earlier, it took Surrey almost an hour and a half to claim their only wicket of the morning session, Fletcha Middleton pinned leg before by Fisher after advancing steadily from his overnight 11 to 42.
Middleton’s fourth wicket stand with Gubbins had been worth 74 and provided Hampshire with much-needed stability following the chaotic slide to 30-3 in the murk of the third evening, when Kemar Roach had removed opener Mark Stoneman and both nightwatchmen, Brad Wheal and Sonny Baker, had fallen to Jordan Clark.
Better was to come for Hampshire, with Albert – who had laboured through 27 balls for just one run before lunch – joining Gubbins in a partnership that eventually realised 143 in 52 overs and which grew in authority during an afternoon session in which Surrey went wicketless.
By tea Gubbins, three short of his hundred, and Albert, who had gone to his half-century from 111 balls, looked in total control.
Only 27 runs came from the first nine overs with the second new ball, with Clark particularly miserly, and then Fisher replacing Worrall at the Vauxhall End brought an almost immediate reward.
Looking to whip a ball from around the wicket that appeared to keep a little lower than expected, Gubbins was trapped lbw after facing 247 balls and hitting 12 fours, perhaps the best of them a magnificent on drive off Worrall that took him to 114.
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