Maiden Albert ton helps Hants build big lead over Surrey
Vitality County Championship Division One, Utilita Bowl (day two)
Surrey 127: Burns 33; K Abbott 5-25, Dawson 3-21
Hampshire 495-4: Albert 114, Gubbins 103, Brown 99*, Dawson 74*
Hampshire (5 pts) lead Surrey (1 pt) by 368 runs
Toby Albert scored his maiden County Championship century and Nick Gubbins plundered his first as a father as Hampshire took complete control over Surrey.
Homegrown batter Albert took advantage of Ali Orr’s back problems to grind out a ton on his sixth first-class appearance as he and Gubbins knocked up Hampshire’s highest second-wicket stand against Surrey.
After the 201-run partnership had ended, Gubbins raised his bat on a second century of the campaign in his first innings since daughter Ottilie was born two weeks ago.
James Vince, Ben Brown and Liam Dawson also grabbed half-centuries as Hampshire piled on 495-4 to boast a huge 368-run lead over the reigning champions.
Albert had begun last week smashing the Royal Air Force for an outrageous 86 off 31 balls before taking apart Sussex’s second XI with 51 off 33 balls as he prepared for the Vitality Blast.
But back spasms for Orr meant he was given a fresh chance in the Championship side, and he gave head coach Adi Birrell a massive future selection headache.
Albert, the son of two Olympic equestrians, had ground out 34 in 139 balls on the first evening to make sure Hampshire did not follow Surrey’s 127 collapse.
He was completely chanceless in his century, despite a strong Surrey attack bowling accurately but ineffectually. Albert top-edged to fine-leg on 114 to end his mammoth innings and a record alliance against Surrey – beating the 180 Roy Marshall and Henry Horton put on at The Oval in 1961.
Gubbins had started his season in good form but missed the second innings against Durham and the victory over Nottinghamshire while on paternity leave.
Late-night feeds have not impacted Gubbins’ batting, with the left-hander as assured as ever for his 18th first-class century.
Once that milestone was hit the target for Hampshire was bonus points, which Vince’s aggressive approach was perfect for. He secured a second batting point with 40 in 37 balls, before heading to fifty in 49, as Hampshire cantered.
Ben Foakes remained off the field due to his own back spasms throughout the day, with Jamie Smith taking the gloves, and he ended Vince’s onslaught on 52 when the home skipper was strangled down the leg side by Dan Worrall, with Gubbins previously well caught at gully off the Australia-born quick.
Brown and Dawson reached their half-centuries at a gallop during an unbroken 157-run partnership – with the former unbeaten on 99 overnight.
Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network
