Surrey In Control After Impressive Day With The Bat

Surrey posted 637-7 before declaring on day two of their County Championship match with Hampshire at the The Ageas Bowl

Ryan McLaren (31*) and Tom Alsop (29*) led the Hampshire revival with the bat after a testing day in the field against Surrey, who continued to dominate with the bat in their Specsavers County Championship Division One match at the The Ageas Bowl.

It was once again a day of runs with Surrey centuries from Ben Foakes (141*) and captain Gareth Batty (110*) strengthening Surrey’s grip on the game, taking their score to 637-7.

McLaren and Alsop showed fine resolve with the bat, after Surrey paceman Mark Footitt had taken two early Hampshire wickets in the evening session to make things even trickier for the hosts.

Things were looking promising for Hampshire first up after the in-form Gareth Berg trapped Davies (25) at lbw, earning his side a bowling point.

McLaren then dismissed the dangerous Finch (86) in the same fashion during the morning session, before Mason Crane picked up his third of the innings. The youngster forced Sam Curran (16) to charge past one, with Lewis McManus once again claiming the stumping as he did on day one.

Foakes and Batty then accelerated the run rate in the afternoon session, happy to rotate the strike, and the Surrey men put away anything a tad loose from the Hampshire attack. The pair put on an impressive 200 stand for the 10th wicket with the 23-year-old Foakes picking up his century off 102 balls, with the experienced Batty taking 132 deliveries for his 100.

Surrey declared just after the tea break, and struck almost instantly with Mark Footitt clean bowling Hants skipper Will Smith (0) for a golden duck with his first delivery. In his very next over Footitt had Jimmy Adams (5) caught at midwicket which left Hampshire 5-2, and really up against it.  

Tom Alsop (29*) however, and Ryan McLaren (31*), in at four, steadied the ship and put on a fifty partnership for the third wicket.

They both batted sensibly and, after seeing off the pace of Footitt, they began to relieve the pressure through pure grit.

The pair steered Hants to 73-2 at the close, with more of the same approach needed tomorrow.

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