Surrey match-winner Dan Worrall ‘ready’ should England call come

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Australian claims 100th and 101st wickets for Surrey as champions storm to top of table

Dan Worrall claimed eight wickets in the match  •  Getty Images for Surrey CCC

Surrey 359 (Burns 113, Clark 106*, Abbott 4-104) beat Hampshire 151 (Clark 3-29, Atkinson 3-40, Worrall 3-44) and 197 (Worrall 5-47) by an innings and 11 runs

Daniel Worrall led Surrey off the field after his five-wicket haul against Hampshire put them top of the County Championship’s top division – then declared himself “ready to go” if England decide to hand him an unlikely Test debut when he qualifies to play for them next summer.

Worrall took a single ODI wicket across his three Australia caps in 2016 but has been the outstanding bowler for Surrey since he joined them two years ago, qualifying as a local player through his British passport. He took his 100th wicket for the county on Monday when Kyle Abbott edged to second slip, and his 101st – Brad Wheal, also caught at second slip – sealed the win.

On both occasions the fielder was Ollie Pope – who took six in the innings and eight in the match, equalling Surrey’s record – and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that they could become England team-mates next summer. By that stage, Worrall would be 33 and a short-term selection, but his experience bowling in Australia with a Kookaburra ball could make him an intriguing option ahead of an Ashes tour at the end of the year.

“There’s still at least 300 overs for me to bowl [this season] before that’s even considered,” Worrall said. “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.”

Worrall had three spells with Gloucestershire as an overseas player before joining Surrey and always looked a natural fit for English conditions, with his skills – swing and seam from a relatively low release point – well-suited to the County Championship. “It’s something I wish I had done 10 years ago, to be honest,” Worrall said of his decision to sign as a local player.

“I’m just lucky that I have got to play for Surrey long enough to get 100 wickets… it’s nice to be where I am now and chasing a third Championship. I’m so privileged to be a part of this club. Any little bit that I can do to repay the faith is something that I’ll be proud to do for as long as I’m here.”

Other Surrey players have had more acclaim than Worrall during their back-to-back title wins but he is hugely valued by his captain, Rory Burns. “The way that ‘Franky’ bowls, the way he sets the tone for us, taking the new ball, he’s definitely not underappreciated in my view,” Burns said. “If he is in the wider spectrum then people probably need to do their homework.”

Burns himself played a major role in Surrey’s win, scoring his first Championship hundred since July 2022 to rescue his side from 44 for 4 after bowling Hampshire out for 151. He said it was among his best innings for the club. “It’s pleasing to contribute to a win and get that score. The manner I went about it, I was really happy with.”

It took Surrey just over two hours to take the five wickets they needed on the final day, despite the loss of more than 80 overs of play to bad weather over the weekend. Worrall struck early on when Liam Dawson edged to Pope, and Gus Atkinson had James Fuller well caught in the gully by Dan Lawrence.

Ben Brown dug in for 45, batting with the lower order, but after slog-sweeping Cameron Steel’s legspin for six with five men back on the leg-side boundary he fell to his next ball, picking out Kemar Roach at deep square leg. The use of Steel, the leading wicket-taker in Division One, for only four overs in the match reflected both the conditions and the wealth of resources available to Burns.

For Hampshire, this was a fourth defeat at The Oval in as many years, three of them by an innings and all of them starting in April. “We have been outplayed,” Adi Birrell, their coach, said. “It’s disappointing. We’ve always struggled here, the last few years I’ve been involved. We talk about it and we train for it but we can’t quite turn it around. We’ll be back next year trying very hard at this venue.”

Both teams have a week off next week, with all counties due to play seven fixtures in the first eight rounds of the season. Hampshire are winless and sit in mid-table while Surrey are the early leaders in pursuit of a third title in a row. On this evidence, they will be difficult to stop.

Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98