Gubbins and Albert help Hants deny Surrey victory

Nick Gubbins' century was the 19th of his first-class career

Rothesay County Championship Division One, Kia Oval (day four)

Surrey 253 & 342-9 dec: Sibley 105, Smith 84; Baker 5-80

Hampshire 219 & 300-5: Gubbins 117, Albert 78*; Clark 2-39

Surrey (12 pts) drew with Hampshire (11 pts)

Match scorecard

Nick Gubbins and Toby Albert were Hampshire's heroes as they denied Surrey's last-day attempt to force a first victory of the new County Championship season at the Kia Oval.

Gubbins scored a five-hour 117 and Albert an equally defiant 78 not out as Hampshire, starting the day on 35-3 in their second innings in pursuit of a 377-run win target, finished on 300-5.

Bad light actually had the final say, forcing the players from the field for what turned out to be the loss of four overs, when 10 overs were left and Hampshire were still 78 short of what would have been a remarkable triumph against the 2022, 2023 and 2024 champions.

With just six overs left when the players returned, Jordan Clark sent down two balls – one of which was hit for a single by Albert – and then the players shook hands on the draw.

In truth, however, and despite Tom Prest being unbeaten on 32 alongside Albert, it had seemed increasingly unlikely that Hampshire could have scored the remaining runs anyway against a testing Surrey seam attack in gloomy conditions and with the floodlights on.

In 22.2 overs with the second new ball, Surrey had restricted Hampshire to 80 runs for the loss of Gubbins and run-scoring was difficult against a high-class pace quartet in which Matt Fisher and Clark were especially impressive.

Earlier, it took Surrey almost an hour and a half to claim their only wicket of the morning session, Fletcha Middleton pinned leg before by Fisher after advancing steadily from his overnight 11 to 42.

Middleton's fourth wicket stand with Gubbins had been worth 74 and provided Hampshire with much-needed stability following the chaotic slide to 30-3 in the murk of the third evening, when Kemar Roach had removed opener Mark Stoneman and both nightwatchmen, Brad Wheal and Sonny Baker, had fallen to Jordan Clark.

Better was to come for Hampshire, with Albert – who had laboured through 27 balls for just one run before lunch – joining Gubbins in a partnership that eventually realised 143 in 52 overs and which grew in authority during an afternoon session in which Surrey went wicketless.

By tea Gubbins, three short of his hundred, and Albert, who had gone to his half-century from 111 balls, looked in total control.

Only 27 runs came from the first nine overs with the second new ball, with Clark particularly miserly, and then Fisher replacing Worrall at the Vauxhall End brought an almost immediate reward.

Looking to whip a ball from around the wicket that appeared to keep a little lower than expected, Gubbins was trapped lbw after facing 247 balls and hitting 12 fours, perhaps the best of them a magnificent on drive off Worrall that took him to 114.

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Hampshire century-maker Nick Gubbins said:

"We're very pleased with how we've played over the last two days, and until the bad light came along towards the end we did think we might even have a chance of winning it with 78 runs needed from 10 overs. But going off for those four overs meant that it was then out of the question when we came back out again.

"But it is great to come away with the draw because after the first two days we were really up against it.

"I thought we bowled well to restrict their scoring rate on day three and then Sonny Baker really ran in with great energy to get his five wickets when they were trying to get quick runs to set up the second innings declaration.

"We know it is always tough to come to play Surrey here at this time of year, as our record here over the past few years shows.

"But the pitch does generally get better as the game goes on at the Oval and so we knew if we were calm today then it was possible to get through and both myself and Toby Albert really enjoyed being able to put our partnership together and bat for a session and a half."

Surrey head coach Gareth Batty said:

"In our first game last week at Essex I thought we were easing into the season a bit and then, in this game on an exceptional cricket pitch for mid-April, I thought we were exceptional. So there are very good signs for us to take forward into our next match.

"In this game I'd have to pick out Dom Sibley, because to score two hundreds in a first-class match is always a wonderful effort.

"But I'm also very pleased with the way Matt Fisher bowled throughout, because he was superb in pretty much every spell and he will be a great addition to our squad."