Rory Burns’ return to form and Clark’s whirlwind century help Surrey set pace with Essex in County Championship

Surrey have gone level with Essex on 71 points at the top of the County Championship following a second successive innings victory, this time at home to Hampshire, who were cast aside for 151 and 197.

The filling in the sandwich was the Oval outfit’s 359, which was founded on Rory Burns’ continued return to form and capped by a whirlwind 106 not out off 102 balls from all-rounder Jordan Clark.

Burns’ first championship ton since July 2022 was as dogged as they come – spread over seven hours and 256 deliveries. The Surrey skipper has made 262 runs at an average of 65.50 in this season’s red-ball competition.

“We played really well over the four days and it was nice to get another win,” said the 33-year-old.

“Obviously, we got an early foothold in the game by bowling them out for 151 on the first day and getting ourselves into a good position from there. It was a little bit tricky with the bat and Hampshire also bowled well early in our innings.

“It was important for us when Ryan Patel came in to join me. He has opened the batting a lot in the past, which stood him in good stead against a fairly newish ball. The 75-run partnership we were able to put on together was a big moment in the game and the way Ryan played was brilliant.

“I was very pleased to contribute my own hundred to the team cause and I was really happy with the manner in which I went about it – it feels like one of my best innings for the club. And then Jordan Clark came in and hit a brilliant hundred, which gave us what was a match-winning lead.”

Dan Worrall led the way with the ball for the South Londoners, taking eight wickets in the match.

“It’s nice to have Frankie up and running again,” said Burns. “But the way all our bowlers performed, especially in the second innings – because of its relentless nature – was very much a blueprint for us as we go further into the season.”

Surrey’s attack was also backed up in the field – not least by Ollie Pope, who took eight catches (all of them at second slip), equalling the record for Surrey in first-class cricket set by Tony Lock against Warwickshire at the Oval in 1957.

On Pope’s eight catches, Burns added: “Ollie has always been a very good catcher of the ball, and he moves very well on his feet. He is able to take a lot of difficult chances because of the good positions he gets himself in.”

Due to the soggy start to the season, weather-wise, just three of the 10 teams in Division One have registered victories – Durham with one and joint leaders Essex and Surrey with two apiece. However, Burns thinks it’s far too early to be looking at the table.

“It is very pleasing that we have started the season so well, but I don’t really look at the table,” said the Surrey skipper.”A few of the other lads might, but not me. Over the four games we’ve played so far going into a break week, it’s been pleasing that we’ve put ourselves into positions to win three games, while the other one was affected by rain.

“It’s just about keeping pushing on and putting ourselves in those positions. We’ve got a week to freshen up after which we’ll try and hit the ground running again against Warwickshire.”

South East Stars maintained their 100 per cent record in this season’s 50-over Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy with victories at the expense of The Blaze and Central Sparks.

Tash Farrant, the leading run-maker in the competition (with 216 at an average of 108) hit an unbeaten 68 for the Stars to seal an eight-wicket win over The Blaze at Leicester, though not before seamer Ryana MacDonald-Gay had done the business with the ball, taking 5-31.

The 71-run success over Central Sparks in the next game, at Beckenham last weekend, saw MacDonald-Gay assume the mantle of the primary wicket-taker in the RHF Trophy (12 victims at 7.91 runs apiece) by bagging four more scalps.

MacDonald-Gay, who, at 30, has surprisingly been overlooked by England over the years, said: “I just think we have really clear plans and the whole team are putting in really good performances.

“It was bittersweet not to get five wickets again, but obviously four is great and it’s a team sport, so I absolutely loved it.

“Hopefully this momentum will keep going, building into the peak of the season. It’d be really great to get to both finals this year.”

The South East Stars’ 20-over campaign – in the Charlotte Edwards Cup – gets under way against Western Storm at Bristol on Sunday, May 19.

PICTURES: KEITH GILLARD