Burns Century Helps Surrey Edge Opening Day

Surrey took full advantage of a flat wicket with opening pair Rory Burns (122) and Dominic Sibley (99) really cashing in on the kind conditions on day one of Hampshire’s Specsavers County Championship match at the The Ageas Bowl. 

Burns made a superb hundred off just 143 balls, with some beautiful shots sending the ball to the boundary rope.

Opening partner Dominic Sibley wasn’t in as quite a rush, but he gave Burns some useful support as the pair put on 208 for the opening wicket.

However, Mason Crane made the breakthrough just before tea with Burns’ cut only finding the hands of Sean Ervine at slip.

Crane was at it again in the evening session when he tempted the struggling Zafar Ansari (5) to come down the wicket, only for the batsman to miss the ball and McManus to remove the bails.

Aaron Finch (52*) came to the crease and delivered some big blows on route to a useful half century off just the 64 balls.

But just as the Australian and Sibley were about to form a partnership, Gareth Berg picked up a deserved wicket with the second new ball, bowling Sibley one short of a century.

Soon after Berg had a second, trapping Jason Roy LBW for a duck, and Hampshire were firmly back in the match.

Steven Davies (21*) was alongside Finch at the close, and their useful partnership halted Hampshire’s squeeze in the evening session.

Gareth Andrews and Brad Wheal caused the batsmen to dig in for periods throughout, whilst leg spinner Crane, as always, managed to lure the Surrey men into loose shots, as he did for the wickets of Burns and Ansari.

The booming Finch, who smashed 153 against England in an International T20 back in 2013, hit four fours and two sixes as he was joined by Davies to see out the day with a handy partnership of 49.

The Browncaps have the upper hand, but with bright weather predicted all week, this match is far from over. 

Words: Alastair Pusinelli