Hampshire vs Surrey day three: Organ failure for Surrey as Felix spins Hampshire to victory

Hampshire: 149 & 436

Surrey: 162 & 151

Prost player of the day: Felix Organ 5-25

Hampshire win by 272 runs

Part-time spinner Felix Organ more than doubled his wicket-tally for the season as his 5-25 sliced through Surrey at the Ageas Bowl.

The day’s play:

Resuming on 296-6 and a lead of 283, Hampshire walked out to bat hoping to take the game away from the visitors.

The first hour saw the two overnight batsman, Liam Dawson and Lewis McManus make a good start to proceedings, as Dawson passed his fifty to extend the Royals advantage past 300. The first hour was certainly prosperous for Hampshire; a wicketless 50 runs were added and Surrey on the retreat.

Although Dawson (88) and McManus (61) did eventually fall, Hampshire were still in at lunch and with a more than handy lead of 414.

The thing about sport is the supposed psychological advantages teams strive for. The fact that Hampshire bounced into lunch with a lead of over 400 rather than 399, makes Surrey’s task all the more difficult. Surely a declaration was not too far away.

Second session: 

But the thought of declaration didn’t hang over the Hampshire head for long. After the break Surrey cleaned up the tail to bowl the home side out for 436, requiring 424 runs for victory.

The target set seemed a little bit more daunting as Hampshire’s opening pacemen Keith Barker and Kyle Abbott struck with a wicket apiece to leave the visitors 12-2. Mark Stoneman was also cleaned through the gate by Ian Holland to leave Surrey teetering on the edge of defeat.

However, Ollie Pope once again demonstrated why he is a future England star. Seemingly batting on a different surface to every other Surrey stroke-maker, Pope battened down the hatches for an hour so for a well made 40. But James Vince’s decision to change Kyle Abbott from the Hilton end to the pavilion proved shrewd as Pope got a slight tickle on a length ball from the South African.

Despite the regular flow of wickets, it was clear that if Surrey were going to go down, they would go down swinging. Rather than wait for the ball with their name on it, they were going to keep attacking in an attempt to shift the emphasis onto the Hampshire bowlers. Prior to tea they were going a tick over four an over.

They walked in with tea and biscuits on the horizon at 100-4.

Final session:

20 minutes into the evening session and the two captains in the middle appeared to have a fractious chat. With the light fading, Ben Foakes protested to the umpires that James Vince’s side should only bowl spin. Whilst Vince was unhappy with the decision, he soon cheered up a couple of overs later.

Part-time spinner Felix Organ picked up the clamoured wicket of Foakes after a half-tracker was pulled straight into the grateful arms of Sam Northeast. It was Organ’s fourth wicket of the campaign and left the Surrey skipper wondering whether protesting for spin at both ends was the best idea in the world.

Jamie Smith was then stumped for 34 as Organ picked up his second wicket in as many overs to leave Surrey 122-6 and staring down the barrel of defeat.

Organ matched his wicket tally for the season with a third wicket after a fantastic catch from Ian Holland. Peddling backwards at deep square, the fielder took a difficult catch to dismiss Rikki Clarke.

Who would have thought that bad light would be the fielding team’s best friend? Organ was in fantasy land as he bagged his fourth, trapping Conor McKerr on the pads.

Felix Organ got his five-for and undeniably his career best figures as he dismissed Jordan Clark in his next over.

I’m sure when the 20-year-old woke up this morning he wasn’t expecting to bowl, never mind spearhead the Hampshire bowling attack. Liam Dawson, the premier spinner, could only watch on at the other end as Organ’s offies were sending the batsmen packing.

Dawson bowled Morne Morkel to get his well-deserved 200th first-class wicket and capped off a fantastic victory for Hampshire.

Despite Surrey letting Hampshire off the hook when they were 90-8 on the first day, the Royals fought-back well and learnt their lessons with the bat as five batsmen passed fifty in the second innings.