County cricket talking points: Surrey and Hampshire still battling it out

Surrey’s match against Essex started with ebbs and flows and continued that way across all four days. Dan Worrall and Kemar Roach bowled with great control and just the right amount of movement to threaten both edges of the bat, but you just had the feeling that Adam Rossington and Simon Harmer were the right men to come in at 91 for six with the sun at its fiercest. The former made 100 and the latter 50 in a stand full of nous, and the game was very much on.

Almost exactly 24 hours later, Surrey were in similar straits and were rescued by Will Jacks, who used less nous and more belligerence to get his side into the game, then to parity and finally to a lead of 42, the all-rounder’s 150 not out one of the innings of the year.

Five more wickets for Dan Worrall left Surrey with 161 to get, which any cricket writer is contractually obliged to describe as “potentially awkward”. But local lads Rory Burns, Ryan Patel, Tom Lawes and Ollie Pope (aided by imports, Hashim Amla and Jamie Overton) saw the leaders home in a splendid game of two-innings cricket. Surrey stay top by 14 points having found their way out of a tough situation yet again.

Hampshire are still snapping at Surrey’s heels after thrills and spills on the final day at Cheltenham.

With thunder forecast and butter on their fingers, Hampshire were slowed down by Miles Hammond, on his way to a career-best 169, and Ryan Higgins, a classy man for Gloucestershire to be hiding at No 7. But Kyle Abbott, the old pro, knew he had to seize the game after catches had been dropped, and his hat-trick helped reduce the home side from 315 for five to 337 all out.

Higgins got in the game again, pocketing three wickets, but Hampshire, with more of an eye on their weather apps than