Lunch Report: Surrey 278 v Hampshire 100-2 (31 overs)

Lunch on the second day of four (Surrey won toss)

The unexpected happened this morning. There was play. The weather forecast had predicted rain all morning and into the afternoon and even the umpires were resigned to a frustrating time on the sidelines.

But the clouds withheld their moisture, preferring to hang over the ground in brooding fashion and let play begin on time.

Hampshire might well have wished for a downpour. After almost four overs, with the ball swinging quite prodigiously at times, they lost Jimmy Adams without having added to their overnight score of 13.

Jimmy Ormond was the bowler, getting Adams to push half forward to an away swinger, which found the edge and was well taken by the Surrey wicketkeeper Jon Batty diving to his right.

Michael Lumb then joined Michael Brown and the pair of them dug in to deny Surrey a first bowling point, although they had their share of luck.

Left-hander Lumb, aware that Hampshires batting line-up was without the reliable and in-form John Crawley because of a side strain, was in determined mood, but he was left a little shaken when a short ball from West Indies pace bowler Pedro Collins caught him on the helmet, the ball sailing through to Batty.

In Collins’ next over Lumb edged a ball to the slip cordon where Surrey youngster Chris Jordan, at second, dived across Mark Butcher at first and spilled the chance. It was by no means a straightforward chance but it was a missed opportunity and it allowed the Hampshire third wicket pair to take Hampshire’s reply to three figures by the interval.