Alsop maiden Hampshire hundred squeezes out Surrey

Hampshire 289 for 8 (Alsop 116, Ervine 50, Batty 3-56) beat Surrey 283 for 9 (Foakes 72, Ansari 62, Berg 4-64) by six runs
Scorecard

Tom Alsop scored his first professional century to help Hampshire edge a nervy six win against Surrey in the Royal London One-Day.

Alsop continued his excellent List A form after scoring 50 and 83 retired ill in his two previous innings with an effortless and mature knock.

His efforts was backed up by Tino Best's miserly 1 for 47 and Gareth Berg defending 11 in the final over to end with figures of 3 for 64.

Berg gave Hampshire the perfect start to their protection of 289 by wonderfully catching and bowling Steven Davies during his first over.

Jason Roy and Kumar Sangakkara added 60 for the second wicket, neither looking in much trouble, before the pair fell in quick succession.

The Sri Lanka edged through to Lewis McManus off Gareth Andrew, while Roy was tangled into confusion by a Liam Dawson spinner. Arun Harinath departed soon after, teeing a sweep up to Sean Ervine at slip, as Surrey faltered to 72 for 4.

But a 130-run partnership between Ben Foakes and Zafar Ansari kept the visitors well in the game. The duo scored at a similar rate to score fifties, in 48 and 72 balls respectively, before Ansari was bowled by Tino Best for 62.

Foakes departed soon for 72 after as young wicketkeeper McManus picked Mason Cranes' googly to stump the out of ground batsman.

A Crane delivery hit Tom Curran and rolled back onto his stumps without persuading a bail to nudging off. He took his luck by scoring 55 with his brother Sam before clipping a scoop up to short fine leg.

But from a winning position Hampshire pulled it back when Best only concede five from the penultimate over and Berg blasted three wickets in four deliveries to kick start their one-day hopes.

Earlier, after being put in, Alsop lost his opening partner in just the second over, Jimmy Adams failing again as he was bowled by Sam Curran.

The early wicket did not dissuade Alsop as he carefully accumulated runs with James Vince - although luck was on his side as a skied leading edge was hit into the sun, making Curran's attempt at a catch fruitless.

Vince, who had been allowed to play in this match by England, look in imperious touch with stylish cutting and a textbook perfect cover drive hallmarks of a glorious 41 - in which he went past 3,000 List A runs.

But as elegant and free-flowing as his runs came he soon fell when he picked out deep mid-wicket.

Alsop, who had added 62 with Vince, continued his innings with Sean Ervine in complete control moving past fifty in 64 balls.

Zimbabwean Ervine bagged his second half century in as many days - putting on 116 runs with Alsop from the third wicket - before getting out lbw to Tom Curran the ball after reaching the milestone.

Academy product Alsop anchored the innings well and accelerated slightly through his knock - bringing up his first three figure score in 104 balls.

Liam Dawson and Will Smith both departed cheaply, both leg before to Gareth Batty, before the lively Lewis McManus and Alsop fell in quick succession.

Gareth Andrew and Gareth Berg ran hard in the last ten overs, but just one boundary in that spell curtailed Hampshire's total, though it was eventually just enough.