Marcus Hook’s Surrey CCC column: No reliance on weather as character is shown to grind out draw against Hampshire

There’s an old song that goes ‘Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall’, which, for the last week, sums up the setbacks Surrey have had to endure.

Until, that was, day four of their County Championship clash with Hampshire, when it looked as if only a prolonged cloudburst could soften the blow of losing a crucial T20 clash with Kent, not to mention Ollie Pope (thigh) and Kyle Jamieson (back) to injury.

But the rain staying away handed the South Londoners the opportunity to show that their determination can never be doubted.

Scoring 116 runs in 96.2 overs on the final day was far from pretty but to hold on for a draw – with two wickets still intact when the teams shook hands and touched elbows – demonstrated immense character.

They displayed similar application with the ball, initially, by limiting Hampshire to 229-7 on day one after Jamieson – Surrey’s overseas replacement for the injured Sean Abbott, was himself forced to withdraw from his first-class debut for the Oval outfit, having sent down just six overs.

But the story of day two was that of Jamieson’s New Zealand team-mate Colin de Grandhomme, who not only made a brow-beating 174, but also shared stands of 127 and 114 as Hampshire’s last three wickets piled on another 267.

Surrey’s response to their hosts’ 488 was pitiful – 72 all out and then, following on, 6-2.

By that time Will Jacks, pictured, was in Cardiff, having been called-up to England’s subsitute squad for the white-ball series against Pakistan, due to seven members of the original party and management testing positive for Covid-19. It’s worth noting all seven had at least one dose of a vaccine.

A total of 11 players, including Jacks and Hampshire’s James Vince, were withdrawn from the round of County Championship matches, which underlines the importance of keeping the international show on the road.

There’s still a mathematical chance Surrey can qualify for Division One in the County Championship. But even a thumping victory over Somerset in their final Group Two game is unlikely to be enough.

As society opens up more and the Delta variant sweeps through the country, cricket could be more impacted than it was last summer.

The forthcoming five-Test series with India is said to be worth around £100 million to the English game.

The Pakistan series goes ahead, for now, but it would be interesting if the boot was on the other foot.

And what will happen if The Hundred, on which much also rests financially, is also affected by the pandemic?

In the Vitality Blast, six of the nine teams in the South Group have a shot at a top-four place, including Essex, who, by winning two out of two last week, seem to be peaking at the right time (just as they did in 2019).

While a victory for Surrey against Kent tonight would bring relief, I feel the visit to Cheltenham, to face Gloucestershire, will have a bigger say in terms of the quarter-final picture.