Surrey (359) beat Hants (151 & 197) by an innings and 11 runs
Australian-born quick Dan Worrall declared that he is “ready to go if required” when he qualifies to play for England next year after his five-wicket haul drove Surrey to their second win of the season.
Worrall joined Surrey for the 2022 season, and has won the Championship with them twice. Against Hampshire, match figures of eight for 91 took him past 100 first-class wickets for the club.
Worrall, who had been an outstanding seamer for South Australia with county experience at Gloucestershire, joined Surrey as a local player courtesy of a British passport, and in doing so gave up any hope of adding to his three caps for Australia, all of which came in one-day internationals in 2016. Once he has completed a three-year stand-down period, he would be available to play for England.
While this might appear a long shot as Worrall turns 33 in July, he has long been one of the outstanding domestic seamers, is a canny, relentlessly accurate practitioner with the Dukes and Kookaburra balls, and could make an intriguing option for England in the post-James Anderson world. Worrall was coy on the matter, but confirmed his interest in turning out for England.
“There’s still at least 300 overs for me to bowl [this season] before that’s even considered,” said Worrall after leading his Surrey team-mates off the field. “The way the rules are, it’s three years since being a local player in England, so I suppose that would be next April. I’m ready to go if I’m required, but I’ve learned in my time that as soon as you think that far ahead, you’re kidding yourself.
“When I started at Surrey I did so with the mindset that I had sort of another full career ahead of me. And I always had an ambition to play in England as an Englishman and have a career in England.”
Surrey picked up the final five Hampshire wickets they required for the victory at the Kia Oval which, with Essex drawing a a rain-affected game at Durham, means Essex and Surrey both have 71 points after four matches.
Four of Worrall’s five second innings wickets fell to fine catches by Ollie Pope at second slip. The England vice-captain held six in the innings and eight in the match, equalling Surrey’s first-class record for a non-wicketkeeper.
Surrey captain Rory Burns, who scored a century earlier in the game, praised his attack, in which Worrall partners Kemar Roach with the new ball. England’s Gus Atkinson bowled a hostile spell on the fourth morning, too.
“I think the way our bowling attack has performed in this game, and especially in the second innings because of the relentless nature of it, is very much a blueprint for us as we go further into the season,” he said. “It is very pleasing that we have started the season so well.”
Because of poor weather, Surrey were the only side to secure a win across seven matches in the Championship this weekend.
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