Surrey’s Second XI got their Championship campaign up and running against Hampshire at The Ageas Bowl.
After losing the toss and fielding first, Surrey picked up four wickets on day one of a truncated light-affected day with the right-arm seamer Nick Kimber claiming three wickets and Sam Curran, returning from injury for his first competitive bowl of the season, sending down a five-over spell for just five runs with one wicket.
Hampshire will resume on day two of this four-day fixture on 249/4 from 50 overs with Aneurin Donald unbeaten overnight on 137.
Assistant Coach Jim Troughton gave his view on Surrey’s efforts in the field. “It’s a good cricket wicket, if you bowl good areas you’ll get good rewards and if you don’t you’ll get punished and I think that sums up the day pretty well.”
Although Gus Atkinson went wicketless, he returned figures of eight overs for 15 across the day and impressed Troughton: “Gus’s opening spell was very promising. He bowls deliveries that pick up pace, with an economical action and it looks like he’s got more to come. As with all of our younger bowlers it’s about stacking up overs, getting in the dirt and getting used to red-ball cricket, which is not easy but in terms of attributes of pace, movement and bounce, he’s got those.”
Kimber’s figures of 3-84 were good reward for running in hard, Troughton said. “He’s had injuries which have delayed his development but when he gets it right and he gets his wrist behind the ball he gets late swing away and he’s got a good bumper. He bowls wicket-taking deliveries.”
The return of Curran was further cause for optimism. “I’ve seen Sam bowl in the marquee,” Troughton said, “and to be fair he would have been well within his rights to be a little bit nervous, in his first bowl in a long time. It’s his first long-term injury. But his first two overs were bang on the money and he moved up through the gears, showing nice late movement and he picked up a wicket like the old Sam who makes things happen.”
Updates on the match will provided on Surrey CCC social media channels, a live score will be available to follow on the NV Play platform and full reports of each day’s play will be posted on kiaoval.com every evening.
