South African Delano Potgieter led a decided rearguard by Hampshire’s decrease order to frustrate Surrey on day three of their County Championship match on the Kia Oval.
The 29-year-old got here in when skipper Ben Brown was sixth out and bottom-of-the-table Hampshire nonetheless wanted 99 runs to keep away from the follow-on.
Potgeiter (84*) performed and missed often however dug in so as to add 52 with Jake Lehmann, 43 for the ninth wicket with James Fuller, after which 48 with quantity 11 Kyle Abbott to assist Hampshire to 333 and the surprising bonus of two batting factors.
Surrey had 16 overs of their second innings earlier than the shut and reached 57-2, dropping their out-of-form skipper Rory Burns (10) when he unluckily performed on to Abbott and misplaced his center stump earlier than Will Jacks was nicely caught low down in his comply with by way of by Fuller off a forefront.
Rain is forecast on the ultimate day however Surrey will really feel there’s sufficient time to place Hampshire beneath strain within the fourth innings.
Jordan Clark took 4-64 and Matthew Fisher, who was named in England’s preliminary 15-man squad for the primary Check in opposition to New Zealand final week, enhanced his possibilities of enjoying within the second Check on his dwelling floor subsequent Wednesday with three wickets at sustained tempo.
Jacks took two wickets however the absence of Indian leg-spinner Rahul Charhar, whose arrival has been delayed by visa points, was felt when Surrey had been attempting to winkle out Hampshire’s tail.
Surrey had been pissed off by the climate too. There have been solely 24.4 overs on the second day when bowling situations had been supreme and simply 6.5 had been potential earlier than 12:45 BST in the present day due to two downpours, which means a complete of 92 overs have been misplaced thus far within the match.
In that transient passage of play nightwatch Baker edged Reece Topley to second slip and both aspect of lunch Clark picked up two wickets. Tom Prest was caught at slip withdrawing the bat and skipper Ben Brown misplaced his leg stump to a ball angled in from huge of the crease.
Having reached a 75-ball fifty, Lehmann’s subsequent 19 runs got here off 64 deliveries, whereas Potgeiter wanted therapy after being struck on the chest by Clark’s lifter early in his innings.
However their seventh-wicket stand used up 23 overs and it took an excellent catch by Topley, diving to his weaker right-hand aspect at backward level, to finish Lehmann’s four-hour vigil and provides Fisher a 3rd wicket.
When Felix Organ shuffled throughout his crease to Clark Hampshire nonetheless wanted 38 to keep away from the follow-on, however Potgieter bought some glorious assist from the tail.
He drove Jacks over long-on for six to avoid wasting the follow-on and though James Fuller was stumped when he tried to loft Jacks excessive the ninth-wicket pair added a treasured 43.
The occasional supply was nonetheless bouncing disconcertingly however there was little sideways motion and even with the brand new ball Surrey struggled to interrupt the last-wicket stand.
Lastly, Abbott was run out by Dan Lawrence’s throw from cowl however Hampshire’s restoration was full.
