Kemar Roach and Surrey decimate Hampshire behind the bat of the imperious Hashim Amla

Hampshire, widely canvassed to win the new-format county championship, did not simply lose to Surrey. They were wiped out by an innings and 289 runs, their heaviest post-war championship defeat..

After such a thumping, Hampshire face a demanding game at Southampton in the fifth round against Somerset. They have only won the championship twice, in 1961 and 1973, and need to recover their equilibrium to qualify, as one of the top two counties in Group 2, for the first division in September.

Hampshire had won two of their first three games and only been baulked by Gloucestershire’s last-wicket pair. Their opening bowlers, Kyle Abbott and Mohammad Abbas, had been superb, and might be again if the Ageas Bowl is made for them on Thursday; but in this game they were powerless after Hampshire had been rolled for 92 on the opening day, and thoroughly out-bowled by Surrey’s Kemar Roach who took ten wickets to their one.

Hashim Amla had carried on from his unbeaten 311 for South Africa at the Oval, wearing down Abbott, Abbas and Co, and setting the base for Ollie Pope to make his second hundred of this season. Amla did not resume on day three, having incurred a stiff neck in scoring 215, so Surrey did not bat on as long as they might have, going from 513 for three to 560 for seven before recklessly declaring 468 ahead.

There was a draw to be had. The pitch was still a belter with a short boundary on the side of the old gasometers. The ball did not swing as it had on the first morning when Hampshire were routed first time. But it is hard to turn tides, and a straightforward skyer had been dropped by Ian Holland as Surrey hit out before the declaration. The bowler had been Scott Currie, who deserved better because it was his last game as a teenager, and he looked after himself at fast-medium as the flak flew.

It was no surprise Holland was out cheaply, while Joe Weatherley had already gone when Rikki Clarke replaced Jamie Overton and surprised the batsman by pitching the ball up. Three of Hampshire’s five biggest defeats by an innings in the county championship had come against Surrey and this looked destined to be another, without the traditional excuse: that Hampshire’s finer batsmen were in the Royal Navy and could not take time off.

In turning around Surrey’s championship season with this victory, Clarke has played an all-round part, and so has their West Indian fast bowler Kemar Roach. On another cool spring day Roach did not retreat to third man and relax, he steamed in for eight consecutive overs before lunch to take three wickets, finishing with eight, and made several impassioned appeals, going down on his haunches for theatrical effect.

Even so, it was one shocker of a shot by Sam Northeast. His first over at the crease, Hampshire needing to revive, Roach steamed up, and a wide half-volley - not even swinging, just wide, and ideal to let through to the keeper. Yet Northeast threw his bat and was caught second slip third ball.

Perhaps in a throwback to Hampshire’s naval traditions, their captain James Vince went fishing against Clarke and was caught behind. But then Vince would not be batting down at five if bent on reclaiming his Test place.

Thus the championship - or the pursuit of the six places in the first division, for the two counties that lead each conference - remains wide open. Any county could yet win this year’s championship, although Kent, the one side to lose three games, will have to go some.

Jack Brooks becomes first Covid replacement in county cricket

by Sam Dalling at the County Ground

Jack Brooks has become county cricket’s first ever Covid replacement having been substituted in for Lewis Gregory ahead of day three of Somerset’s LV= Insurance County Championship fixture against Middlesex.

A member of Gregory’s ‘private bubble’ – understood by Telegraph Sport to be his London-based partner – reported feeling unwell on Saturday morning and, although she returned a negative lateral flow test, in accordance with Government guidelines Gregory is required to remain in isolation until a further negative result has been obtained.

Under Regulation 7.10 of the ECB’s Covid Replacement Regulations, the England all-rounder – who bowled 26 overs and took two wickets in Middlesex’s first innings but had not yet batted – will play no further part in the contest at the Cooper Associates County Ground, meaning he will miss the final two days of the match regardless of whether his partner returns a negative test.

It is the third time that Gregory has forced to self-isolate since the start of March, having previously completed ten-day stints in both Pakistan and England following the postponement of the Pakistan Super League where he had been playing for Islamabad United. He also completed two week’s mandatory hotel quarantine in Australia ahead of his participation in the Big Bash League with Brisbane Heat.

The loss of Gregory, whose brisk unbeaten 62 on the final afternoon was instrumental to their win at Lord’s last month, is a significant blow to Somerset’s hopes of completing a season’s double over Middlesex.

Having been put into bat by Tom Abell, Middlesex reached 357 in their first-innings, Robbie White top scoring with 92 – his third consecutive half century. Somerset were 268 all out, only George Bartlett (55) passing fifty with Steven Finn taking five for 77. Leading by 89, Middlesex then crumbled to 117 all out in their second innings with Craig Overton claiming 5 for 34, and Somerset closed on 104 for four, needing 103 more runs for victory.

Somerset’s overseas star Marchant de Lange was not selected for this game and it is not known whether or not he was considered as a replacement. The Regulations require that, save for in exceptional circumstances, a “‘like for like’ player (or as close as possible)” must be nominated and it could be the former South Africa star’s extra pace means he was not suitable.

Brooks is making his first appearance of the summer having recovered from surgery on both Achilles tendons, as well as a thumb injury obtained in the Bob Willis Trophy final, over the off-season.

Somerset issued the following statement: “Somerset County Cricket Club can confirm that Jack Brooks has been made available as a Covid-19 substitute for the remainder of the current LV= Insurance County Championship match against Middlesex at the Cooper Associates County Ground.

“A member of Lewis Gregory’s private bubble was feeling unwell this morning and has taken a lateral flow test. This test proved to be negative, but protocol dictates that until the results of a further test have been received, Lewis will remain in isolation as per Government guidelines. There will be no further comment at this time.”

Round-up: Stuart Broad helps Notts claim first win in three years

Stuart Broad inspired Nottinghamshire to a first win in red-ball cricket in almost three years. Nottinghamshire completed a 310-run victory over Derbyshire on day three of their championship match at Derby.

The England fast bowler took four for 37 in two spells, while South African paceman Dane Paterson and Luke Fletcher shared five wickets to seal the triumph. It was Nottinghamshire’s first win in first-class cricket since they beat Essex at Chelmsford on June 23, 2018, and would have been even more emphatic but for Ben Aitchison’s maiden first-class 50.

Paterson finished with figures of three for 30 and Fletcher two for 32 as Derbyshire were dismissed for 159, with Aitchison hitting Liam Patterson-White for three sixes before he was last out.

Derbyshire’s chances of even getting close to a 470-run target were slim before the start, but after the first over of the morning they were as distant as the stars. Running in from the Racecourse End, Broad found lift and movement to have Luis Reece caught low down at first slip for 15 and his next ball, full and swinging, caught Leus du Plooy on the crease.

If it was a lack of foot movement that betrayed Du Plooy, captain Wayne Madsen had taken a couple of paces down the pitch when he edged Paterson into the gloves of Tom Moores. Paterson struck another big blow in the same over when he moved one back off the seam to beat Matt Critchley’s defensive push and knock out off stump.

Broad returned to dismiss Fynn Hudson-Prentice (13) and Sam Conners, thanks to an astonishing one-handed catch by Paterson, before Aitchison went down swinging to spark wild Nottinghamshire celebrations.

Essex worked their way through some dogged Worcestershire batting to continue their push for victory on the third day of their match at New Road. In reply to the champions’ 561 for eight declared, the home side closed the third day on 302 for five.

Essex were held up by two stands of 111, between openers Daryl Mitchell (67) and Jake Libby (41), and then fourth-wicket pair Tom Fell (53) and Brett D’Oliveira (67). The bowlers persevered, though, led by spinner Simon Harmer, whose figures of three for 75 included a late-morning burst of three for four in 22 balls.

Chris Wright’s career-best bowling figures gave Leicestershire a chance to press for a first victory of the season as they took a lead of 271 runs into the final day against Gloucestershire. Wright took seven for 53 to help dismiss the hosts for 275 at Bristol. Leicestershire reached 125 for three.