Overall, however, it was rich entertainment for an opening day crowd of almost 5,000 that included a post-lunch influx of more than 250 ticket-holders from England’s finished Test against New Zealand at Lord’s, who all gained entry by paying just £5 alongside the presentation of their Test match tickets.

Put in on a vivid green, well-grassed surface, Surrey’s top order initially had to fight hard against a Hampshire seam attack led by the ever-skilful veteran Abbott and boosted by the release of Baker from England’s Test squad.

It was the introduction of the relatively unheralded Potgieter, however, which brought Hampshire almost immediate reward when he nipped one through Rory Burns’s defences with his second ball to bowl Surrey’s captain for 14.

Potgieter, a 29-year-old South African seamer who later cost Hampshire five penalty runs with over-aggressive behaviour, had replaced Baker at the Vauxhall End after a four-over new ball burst by the young paceman, and he struck again in his fifth over when a distraught Will Jacks sliced a wide and very full delivery to point off the bottom corner of his bat.

Jacks made only 10 in his first red-ball innings of the season but Lawrence then helped Dom Sibley to add a further 45 for the third wicket either side of lunch.

James Fuller ended Sibley’s 102-ball vigil, leg before for 39 to the last ball of the 32nd over, before Lawrence and Pope thrillingly seized the day for Surrey.