County Championship: Hampshire recover from 39-4 to post 254 against Surrey

Ben Brown came in with Hampshire on 39-4

Ben Brown's battling 95 held Hampshire together after champions Surrey had threatened to overwhelm them with an impressive five-man pace attack on day one of their County Championship match at the Kia Oval.

Hampshire were struggling at 114-6 just after lunch, after opting to bat, but Brown was joined by Keith Barker in a determined seventh-wicket stand of 96 in 35 overs as they made it to 254 to frustrate Rory Burns' side.

By the close Surrey were 37 without loss in reply with Burns and Dom Sibley looking solid on 23 and 12 not out respectively.

Yet it might have been a day totally dominated by Surrey if Brown, on three, had not survived a difficult chance to Tom Lawes on the deep backward square leg boundary when he aimed a pull at Sean Abbott.

In addition, Hampshire opener Fletcha Middleton, who made 32, was dropped on nought by keeper Jamie Smith off Kemar Roach.

Lawes, brought in to Surrey's side due to Ben Foakes' absence with a minor back complaint - Smith taking the gloves - finished with 4-58, with the rest of Hampshire's wickets shared out between the the other four seamers and last man Mohammad Abbas run out for a duck after being sent back by James Fuller, who made a useful unbeaten 23.

Brown, the former Sussex captain who moved to Hampshire last year, fought for almost four hours while Barker's 58 occupied 130 balls.

Surrey struck two early blows through West Indies Test fast bowler Roach, who had Felix Organ leg-before for eight in the fourth over and then, from around the wicket, bowled Nick Gubbins for two.

A mini-revival ended when James Vince, after three fours in his 18, pushed hard at Abbott and edged to first slip where Sibley held on at the second attempt, falling to his right.

And, in the next over, Hampshire slumped further to 39-4 when Lawes struck with his second ball, a magnificent leg-cutter that hit Liam Dawson's off-stump to send him back for one.

But Middleton and Brown, after his early escape, did well to add 49 with Brown driving Abbott through extra cover and past mid off for fours before taking 10 runs from Jordan Clark's opening over.

At 88, however, Clark produced a beauty to feather the edge of Middleton's defensive bat 15 minutes before lunch and when Ian Holland fell soon afterwards, held in the gully off Dan Worrall for five, it seemed as if Surrey were on course to bowl out Hampshire for a below-par score.

But Brown, completing his half-century from 79 balls, withstood all that Surrey's pace quintet could throw at him while Barker hung on grimly despite looking uncomfortable against the short ball.

Hampshire reached tea at 179-6, but Brown had added only another 13 runs after the interval before Lawes pinned him leg-before with a full-length inswinger. He had faced 167 balls, hitting 11 fours.

Barker was eventually caught down the legside by Smith, who then yorked Kyle Abbott for two before Fuller turned down a second run to long off to leave Abbas stranded.

Match report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network.