- June 11, 2025
What do you get when you put a rain forecast, a small target, and two in-form openers together? If you’re Hampshire, you get a deserved victory against Surrey. During a rain-affected match at the Kia Oval, Hampshire were on 63 for 0 chasing 142 when the rains came; they had done more than enough. Under Duckworth-Lewis-Stern, they finished with 15 more than needed and secured a rare victory against their Southern rivals.
Captain Vince Sets the Tone
James Vince has always been poetry in motion when he is timing the ball well, and this was one of those days. He commenced his innings with a glorious cover drive, giving notice straight away that he had no intention of hanging around. At 141 runs on the board, Hampshire did not need to go crazy, but they needed to stay ahead of the DLS rate, and Vince was the perfect person to do that.
His 33 not out off 25 balls was not about power hitting, but rather an effective risk-free accumulation of runs. He capitalised on width, found gaps, and kept the tempo going without needing to slog. With rain clearly on the radar, Vince knew time was short, but rather than panic, he played proper cricket shots and made it look remarkably easy.
Toby Albert Grows Into the Game
Things could have turned out very differently for Toby Albert. In the first over, batting at three, he edged an early ball to Jason Roy, who dropped it cold. That life was not a free pass, and Albert took full advantage. He started moderately, but with Vince at the other end helping him in, Albert then settled.
By the time the partnership passed 50 and Albert was looking composed and confident, he started to punish Mitchell Santner, late cutting him hard to the boundary. Albert’s 28 not out off 20 balls might not win him accolades, but having a man chasing under limited overs is a nice touch.
Albert’s innings also showed maturity. He rotated the strike when required and never looked to force the issue. For a young batter learning his way batting at number 3, these are the innings that build belief and trust from the dressing room.
Surrey’s Batting Blues Continue
Hampshire made their time count while Surrey’s batting fell short once again. In the end, Jason Roy was Surrey’s top scorer with 37; however, like most, after a couple of boundaries, he struggled to get free. Ollie Pope got virtually nowhere, and Sam Curran’s short spree of hitting sixes also ended abruptly at a key moment.
Scott Currie and Chris Wood, each of whom achieved a 5-20 economy rate over their 4 overs, were the start of the attack, although Hampshire’s bowlers ascended aside from Scott Currie’s 2nd delivery that Roy struck for four. Currie and Wood were able to bowl versatile and tight lines, the batters were certainly limited. Surrey’s 141 for 7 was their third score below par total in the 140s consecutively – shall we be worried with the batting lineup we have on paper?
In a game where Mother Nature had the last word, the Hampshire openers likely had the best understanding of the situation. Vince brought experience, Albert brought calmness, and together they gave a masterclass on how to smart chase in poor conditions. While Surrey is struggling to find considerable batting fluency, Hampshire may have just found an opening pair that can weather more than just a storm.
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