Surrey v Hampshire 28_04_07

Hampshire Cricket

Udal injury overshadows win

ECB Match Report

Shaun Udal’s suspected broken ankle dampened Hampshire celebrations after a 35-run win over Surrey with 5.3 overs to spare on an enthralling final day of their LV Championship clash at the Brit Oval.
Veteran spinner Udal had to be carried off on a stretcher after suffering the injury attempting to field from his own bowling.
Surrey had a mountain to climb at the start of play, resuming on 105 for two and still trailing by 397 runs but Jonathan Batty, who was 48 not out, dug in again and put on 129 for the fourth wicket with Mark Butcher.
Later Ian Salisbury and Azhar Mahmood added 177 runs, Surrey’s highest eighth-wicket stand against Hampshire.
Surrey lost nightwatchman James Ormond without scoring in the sixth over of the morning before the stand between Batty and Butcher raised hopes that they might bat through the day to save the match or even score the required runs for a most unlikely victory.
Batty had taken three runs in the first over to bring up his half century from 135 balls and he went on to play some delightful strokes.
Butcher was dropped early in his innings. He had scored a single when Michael Brown, at forward short leg, failed to accept a chance offered off Shaun Udal in the ninth over.
Butcher celebrated his escape by driving Shane Warne to the mid-off boundary in the next over.
Both batsmen continued to dominate the first session's play. Batty played a beautiful square drive off the back foot for four off Udal and then lifted him for six over mid-wicket in his next over to take his score to 69.
Butcher had also begun to score more freely. He took 10 in one over from Warne which included a boundary at mid-wicket and then at cover.
Warne took himself off after an hour's spell, having opened the bowling along with off-spinner Udal who also made way for pace bowling from both ends.
It made little difference to either batsmen. Batty progressed to 87 with a square drive for four to point off James Bruce while Butcher steered James Tomlinson to the third man boundary to reach 44.

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