Surrey return to red ball action on Sunday when Hampshire visit the Kia Oval
The two sides meet five days before the rest of the counties return to Rothesay County Championship action due to the Kia Oval hosting the second Test match between England and New Zealand.
Surrey sit in seventh place in Division One, with Hampshire sat at the bottom of the table.
HOW CAN I KEEP UP WITH PLAY?
Surrey’s YouTube channel will broadcast every ball live from the Kia Oval. The Club’s social media channels will provide regular updates and video clips throughout the match. A written match report, video highlights and the Oval & Out podcast will be available at the end of each day.
SURREY SQUAD
Will Jacks and Sam Curran come into a red ball squad for the first time this season. Matt Fisher has been released from the England squad for this match.
Ben Foakes and Tom Lawes remain sidelined with injury. Due to delays in the visa process after submission, Rahul Chahar has not been able to enter the country in time to be available for the match against Hampshire.
HAMPSHIRE
Previewed by Alex Smith, ECB Reporters Network, supported by Rothesay
Hampshire return to the Kia Oval following Friday’s Kia Oval T20 classic. The Rose and Crown county sit bottom of Division One, having lost four and winning one of their matches so far.
Captain: Ben Brown
Head coach: Russell Domingo
2025 finish: 8th
2025 highest run-scorer: Ben Brown (758)
2025 highest wicket-taker: Kyle Abbott (56)
Key winter moves: The biggest shake-up at Utilita Bowl has come off the field with Adi Birrell leaving after seven years, to be replaced as head coach by his protégé, Russell Domingo. Bowling coach Shane Burger has arrived from Somerset to take over from Graeme Welch. On the pitch, Keith Barker is the only major departure, with highly experienced batter Australian Jake Lehmann arriving as a domestic player after helping South Australia win their second successive Sheffield Shield title.
What we’re looking forward to seeing: Players stepping up. The likes of Fletcha Middleton, Toby Albert, Ali Orr, and Scott Currie have been given opportunities and now they need to come of age and support the experienced core of Ben Brown, Liam Dawson, Kyle Abbott and Nick Gubbins. The recruitment of Jake Lehmann should ease some of the batting pressure, while Ben Mayes’ emergence is one to keep a close eye on – especially after a run-filled winter at the Under 19 World Cup.
Aiming to catch the Test selectors’ eye: Sonny Baker. His international debuts last summer might have been ones to forget but his first injury-free Rothesay County Championship season should be deemed a success. His pace speaks for itself, but he is picking up skills and smarts all the time. He is a knowledge sponge, and having Kyle Abbott nearby will only fast-track his development.
Final thought: From early-season overseas chaos to points deductions, and double white ball final heartache to almost relegation – but for Durham’s catastrophic final day Hampshire would be in Division Two. 2025 was a year to forget. Simply, 2026 has to be better. The talent is in the squad, but they lack the experience and reliability to be considered title challengers. Improving home form, where they won once last year on largely lifeless pitches, must be a priority.
