CHAMPIONS Surrey took only 30.2 overs on the final morning to wrap up victory by an innings and 11 runs against an overwhelmed Hampshire at the Oval.

Dan Worrall finished with an impressive five for 47 as Hampshire, dismissed first time around for 151 on day one, were bowled out again for 197.

England vice-captain Ollie Pope equalled the Surrey record for the most outfield catches in a first-class match, pouching three more at second slip to give himself eight in the game.

Surrey, who also beat Kent at Canterbury last week, took 22 points to Hampshire’s three and have begun the campaign strongly in their bid for three successive championship titles.

Hampshire, resuming their second innings still 92 runs behind at 116 for five, had added just a single to their overnight score when Liam Dawson fell for 18 – edging Worrall to Pope in the third over of the morning.

When Worrall returned for his second spell of the morning session, Pope accepted a straightforward nick at second slip as Kyle Abbott departed for eight.

Pope’s eighth and final catch of the match equalled Tony Lock’s record for Surrey from 1957 against Warwickshire at the Oval.

It also wrapped up the contest and gave Worrall his fifth wicket of the innings, with Brad Wheal departing after edging for Pope to complete a spectacular tumbling take to his right.

James Fuller had earlier hung around 23 balls for his four, before fending a Gus Atkinson lifter to gully where Dan Lawrence took the catch to leave Hampshire 139 for seven.

Atkinson greeted Abbott with a vicious ball that the tailender did well to fend away from in front of his face, with both feet off the ground.

The South African continued to bat bravely as he helped Brown to add 26 for the eighth wicket.

But Worrall’s return did for him and leg-spinner Cameron Steel, brought on for his first bowl of the match for the 71st over of Hampshire’s second innings, had Brown well-held on the deep mid wicket ropes by Ryan Patel.

Brown’s 45 was a creditable effort but it was also a mark of Surrey’s dominance, that Steel had not been needed until the game was all but over.

For Hampshire, meanwhile, today’s loss was also their fourth heavy April defeat in successive years against Surrey at the Oval. 

They suffered a nine-wicket reverse last April and innings beatings in each of their previous two early-season visits.

The Utilita Bowl side remain winless after the first four matches of the season and they will look to respond when they host Durham starting on Friday, May 10.