Marcus Hook’s Surrey CCC column: Spin duo struggle badly in heaviest-ever County Championship loss

Prior to last weekend’s clash at Southampton, few could have predicted that Surrey were about to suffer their heaviest-ever championship defeat, especially after four successive victories had propelled the defending champions to Division One’s top spot.

Other than winning the toss, nothing went to plan for the South Londoners, who were bundled out for a paltry 127, during which Ben Foakes suffered a back spasm that prevented him keeping wicket.

Come day three, as the Saints celebrated their return to the Premier League at Wembley, their cricketing brothers were applying the finishing touches to a humiliating innings and 278-run victory at the other end of the M3.

With Toby Albert (114), Nick Gubbins (103) and Ben Brown (165 not out) hitting hundreds – Albert and Brown’s representing personal bests – the hosts racked up 608-6 declared.

Surrey, needing 481 simply to make Hampshire bat again, succumbed to the spin of Felix Organ (5-104) and Liam Dawson (4-45). Not even Dan Worrall’s exuberant 48, batting at number 11, could spare their blushes.

Surrey have only ever had two heavier losses in first-class cricket – against an England side in 1866 that featured WG Grace and Don Bradman’s Australians in 1948.

The most disconcerting factor from the South Londoners’ perspective was their spin duo, Lawrence and Steel, only taking a solitary wicket between them at a cost of 309, on the same surface Dawson and Organ bagged 12 at 14.58 runs apiece.

The result blows the championship race wide open at its halfway stage, with Surrey’s lead over second-placed Essex trimmed to two points.

“Hampshire played the perfect game,” said Gareth Batty, Surrey’s head coach. “They scored 600 runs and bowled us out for less than 204 twice.

“It was a pretty good wicket. Getting as little runs as we did was the issue. It isn’t all doom and gloom for our Championship campaign, we have been quite excellent in six games but unfortunately this one went really badly.

“I hope this is a one-off – I would be very disappointed if it is not. I have huge belief in the whole group. I wouldn’t change our squad for anything.

“We need to address that we could have been better. We can’t sweep things under the carpet and worry about it next time, we need to get on the front foot – which I absolutely know we can as most games I see these guys doing exceptional things.

“We need to learn from this. The Blast is a new start for everybody. Our whole focus now goes to T20 cricket.”

So, what are Surrey’s T20 prospects I hear you ask? The oddsetters certainly like what they see – the South Londoners are favourites to win the South Group and second favourites overall, behind Notts, who are available at 6-1 to lift the trophy at Edgbaston in September.

Traditionally, the sides that reach finals day are those possessing the most effective bowling attacks.

Sunil Narine, who has been talismanic for Surrey with his mystery spin, will not be returning for a third stint as one of the two overseas signings, on top of which fast bowler Jamie Overton is out of action for an indefinite period, with a stress fracture of the lower back.

With Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Reece Topley and Will Jacks in England’s squad for the T20 World Cup, Surrey will also be without two left-arm seamers (Curran and Topley), their T20 skipper (Jordan) as well as one of the leading run scorers in last summer’s Vitality Blast (Jacks, who made 558 at an average of 37.20).

If the Oval outfit are to prosper, so must their top order batters, in particular Laurie Evans, Dan Lawrence and Jamie Smith.

PICTURE: PA