Ervine leads Hampshire on revenge mission

Surrey 329 and 23 for 0 trail Hampshire 582 for 9 dec (Ervine 158*, McLaren 100, Footitt 6-161) by 230 runs Scorecard

It does not take a particularly long memory to recall July 18. But Hampshire certainly can. On July 18, Surrey batted Hampshire into submission. Six-hundred-and-thirty-seven first-innings runs worth of submission. Ben Foakes, who scored a ton, admitted that Surrey’s captain Gareth Batty, who also scored a ton, carried on batting for a couple of overs after tea on day two “just to piss them off”.

Here was Hampshire’s retribution. They had built a fine base on the second day, but lost Tom Alsop and Liam Dawson, both to Mark Footitt, within the third morning’s first 30 minutes. First-innings parity did not look beyond Surrey.

At the other end stood Sean Ervine, who just batted. He batted his way to his third century in three matches. He batted through Hampshire’s highest sixth-wicket partnership against Surrey – 186 with Ryan McLaren, who also scored a century, his first in the Championship (this was the first time three Hampshire batsmen had reached three figures in an innings in 24 years). Then there was 65 with Lewis McLaren, the impish keeper-batsman who held up Surrey at the Ageas, and 48 then 44 with the tattooed Gareths, the belligerent Berg and brutal Andrew.

The declaration had felt like it might never come. Berg smote Batty for 22 in four balls to take Hampshire past 500, which felt like a convenient juncture. But no. Leading by 200; not enough. Then Berg went, caught by Batty at mid-on, to become Footitt’s sixth wicket, and the Surrey players set off with him, seemingly expecting James Vince to wave his arm. Not yet. Ervine brought up …

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