Bowling group get credit after Surrey move top of the County Championship following win over Hampshire

Gareth Batty reacted to his first victory as Surrey’s head coach by paying tribute to his bowling group, who brushed Hampshire aside with a day to spare to go top of Division One in the County Championship.

Their convincing innings and 17-run victory over the early leaders was completed on Saturday with a bowler down, after West Indies’ quick Kemar Roach had to be helped from the field with a torn hamstring early in Hampshire’s first innings.

Batty also singled out Jamie Overton’s fast bowling performance in both digs as “very special”, suggesting it will not have gone unnoticed in terms of the England selectors.

Overton, who moved to the Oval from Somerset – Surrey’s next opponents – at the end of 2020, took 5-54 and 3-53 as Hampshire were dismissed for 223 and 227 in response to the hosts’ 467.

“When you can bowl that quickly, people sit up and take notice,” said Batty. “Jamie’s ceiling is very high. He’s got everything you would wish for in a genuinely quick bowler – he’s tall, with long levers, and he gets steep lift. What we saw from him in this match was very special.

“In Hampshire’s first innings his bowling was electric, and Jamie is right up there for pace with the likes of Mark Wood. But what he’s also got is a natural ability to bowl fast.

“He’s not straining, and he’s also consistently quick. It’s exciting for us to have a player like that who also bats and fields well. In this match, he showed why we wanted him here at Surrey.”

In light of Overton’s stellar performance, Batty was asked why the 28-year-old missed the season’s opener against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

“It was tactical,” said Batty. “There were reasons why, and there were reasons why he played here, and the fruits were there for all to see.

“We have to be progressive. Everyone wants to beat us, so we have to be ahead of the curve. Injuries do not help, but the way Jamie bowled was superb and it’s all down to hard work.

“It’s the boys who do the work, not me. That is part of being a bowling group. They really stuck to the task.

“There’s some sore bodies now, and rightly so. To win in four-day cricket you’ve got to put your body on the line. They all did that and got their rewards. It shows we can do it tough and win games that big.”

Batty was also quick to highlight the contribution of James Taylor, 21, who took three important wickets on the final day.

“James Taylor’s performance will go under the radar, but he’s put in a big shift in both games. He goes under the radar, but it doesn’t go under the radar in that changing room, which is a sign of that group.

“All-round it was very good from Surrey. We’re still in April and we don’t want to get too carried away, but it’s a pretty nice place to be in.”

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD