Surrey 37 for 0 trail Hampshire 254 all out (Brown 95, Lawes 4-58) by 217 runs
If you come to this part of south London, you're guaranteed at least two things - Portuguese restaurants and wicketkeepers.
There is a high concentration of both in this corner of Lambeth. As many as 10 of the former within a one-mile radius of the Kia Oval and four of the latter within the ground as part of Surrey's XI for the visit of Hampshire. Probably more coincidence than anything else, but who could blame you for indulging the fan fiction that Alec Stewart's penchant for a pastel de nata bred an Iberian culinary turf war?
Nevertheless, if you want the best of either, this is a good part of the country to seek it. Usually, anyway. On Thursday, patrons of the Kia Oval for the defending champions' 2023 homecoming were informed that one of the best wicketkeepers around was not part of the four. Ben Foakes, England's incumbent behind the stumps - a position surely reinforced by 76 and 103 not out against Lancashire last week - was out with back issue. Not enough to raise concern, but enough to urge caution and bring a sense of disappointment no amount of custard tarts could overcome.
Shorn of theirs and England's number one, locals made do with Jamie Smith, a long-term international prospect, as deputy. Ollie Pope, who did it twice on the Test tour of Pakistan, was also a potential option, though he seemed happy enough standing at second slip. Skipper Rory Burns was once considered a capable understudy many moons ago. Trawl through the annals, and you'll even find under-17 scorecards of allrounder Jordan Clark with a dagger by his name. By stumps, however, the leading wicketkeeper turn came from the opposition.
Ben Brown stood above his peers with a diligent 95, holding Hampshire together on day one of this first battle of the summer between two title rivals. That the visitors made it to 254 in their first innings was a minor miracle, and Surrey's score of 37 for no loss at stumps put the under-performance of Hampshire's top-order into perspective.
Brown arrived at the crease on 39 for 4, after James Vince had won the toss and chosen to bat first under bright blue skies. Kemar Roach worked over Felix Organ for his 50th first-class wicket for Surrey, then fortuitously bowled Nick Gubbins - the left-hander defending a ball that bounced and spun back onto his leg stump - for 51. At the other end, Vince had poked at Sean Abbott's first delivery before Tom Lawes knocked out Liam Dawson's off stump.
The 14th over hardly called for a "traditional" wicketkeeper in the modern sense. There was little to riff off beforehand and counter-attacking against a bowling group as rampant as they were relentless would have only gone one way. Just as well then that Brown strolled out.
He is more batter-keeper than keeper-batter, and thus something of an anomaly among his full-time contemporaries. One who gets bowlers to come to him rather than the other way around, rarely straying from a self-imposed box, whether punching drives off the front foot or swivelling off the back foot to anything short. There are not many misjudgements, which makes the life he got on 3 all the more noteworthy.
A hook off Sean Abbott burst through the hands of Lawes out on the square leg fence. Lawes would profit from Brown's next error 146 deliveries later when the right-hander drifted across his stumps and was trapped in front, missing out on a 24th career century. The 20-year-old seamer made further amends to remove Keith Barker, the only other batter to offer resistance, before yorking Kyle Abbott to finish with 4 for 58.
Brown used the time between his errors wisely, ticking over the scoreboard without taking undue risk, even for the 11 boundaries he managed. Even with the losses of Fletcha Middleton - caught behind for 32 after Smith had dropped him on 0 - and Ian Holland, Brown did not panic and go into cavalier mode. In Barker, he found an accomplished ally for a ball shy of 35 overs before their stand ended on 95.
Brown has a degree of misfortune in that the gloves seem to distract from his batting, which is worthy of merit on its own. The straightforward methodology and average of 40.45 suggest he could have done it as a full-time pursuit, something lost by being a first-choice gloveman.
That average has been steadily improving since 2015 and ticked over the magic 40 mark at the end of the 2021 season, where it has remained ever since. All the while, his keeping remains tidy, and in turn his value to Hampshire rises in tandem with the frustration of Sussex supporters. It remains a mystery why he was managed so poorly back in that 2021 summer when he was stripped of the captaincy. A mutually-agreed release from Hove two years ahead of time came to pass at the end of the year, ending an association that began as an under-11.
Aged 34, international honours for a former England under-19 are probably gone, even if Brown has publicly stated he will keep pushing for a Test cap even when he's 40. That he has rarely been mentioned in the numerous conversations around England's keeping position over the years is best reflected in the "Foakes or Bairstow" one happening at the moment. The reliability of Foakes' conventional batting is taken as read rather than a tick in his box.
Brown falls into the same category. But, like Foakes, taking that for granted would be a mistake. Without his efforts, Hampshire could have been staring at a similar innings defeat they suffered here last season. Now, thanks to Brown, they will return with something to work with on day two.
