Surrey stutter in second innings as Nottinghamshire sense a chance

Ben Foakes gave the England selectors another reminder of his stunning glovework on an otherwise mixed day for recent discards from the national team in Division One leaders Surrey's clash with Nottinghamshire.

Foakes showed breathtaking skill to remove Notts' centurion of day two Will Young for a magnificent 145, but despite this amazing act of agility the visitors, helped by 50 from all-rounder Lyndon James reached 399 all out, a lead of 44 on first innings, Sean Abbott the pick of the home bowlers with 3 for 85.

Rory Burns bagged a pair when Surrey batted again, but Dominic Sibley, another of the former England openers cast aside in the Ben Stokes/ Brendon McCullum era showed glimpses of fluency which belied his reputation as being too stodgy for 'Bazball'.

The right hander, dropped on 75, eventually made 83, sharing a second wicket stand of 141 with Tom Latham who made 60, but the loss of late wickets left the hosts 200 for 5, a lead of 156.

Most of Nottinghamshire's early batting impetus came from Tuesday's nightwatchman Brett Hutton who plundered five boundaries before edging Jordan Clark to Tom Latham at second slip.

Young, having resumed 106 not out, forged on and when the hosts tried an England style short ball barrage courtesy of Jamie Overton the New Zealand Test batter pulled him fiercely for four before sending the next delivering sailing over the ropes.

Something special would be needed to remove him and it was Foakes who provided the necessary inspiration.

Foakes has found himself cast aside, his glovework considered secondary to Jonny Bairstow's belligerent batting. The clamour for Foakes to return has grown ever louder amid Bairstow's woes behind the stumps in the Ashes series to date, despite his retention for next week's fourth Test.

With Will Jacks called into the attack, Young opted to reverse-sweep his first ball. With Young's bat in his eyeline, Foakes brilliantly held on to the top-edge and had the presence of mind to stump the Kiwi, who'd overbalanced playing the shot, just in case his brilliant catch had escaped notice. The result was the rare sight of a batter being sent on his way by both umpires simultaneously.

James pushed on to add a half-century to his career-best 6 for 74 in Surrey's first dig, sharing a stand of 64 with Calvin Harrison.

Abbott removed James and Dane Paterson in successive balls as the visitors finished one shy of 400, Surrey failing to secure maximum batting points for the first time this season. Latham finished with five catches in the innings.

Burns fell lbw to Hutton for the second time in the match, the ball destined to pluck out middle stump had the 'Brown Hatters' skipper's pad not interrupted its progress.

Thereafter though Notts' attack, shorn of Ball's services toiled for a time as Sibley and Latham looked untroubled.

Sibley, regarded as an onside played unfurled a trio of off/cover drives in reaching 33 in his first 35 balls. Latham was less expansive, but the pair raised the century stand soon after tea before Sibley won the race to 50 helped by eight fours. Latham soon followed courtesy of six boundaries.

Latham was strangled out down the legside off Paterson and Jamie Smith missed out with the hosts exactly 100 ahead.

Sibley was missed at slip when 75 but didn't make the most of the reprieve, slog-sweeping Matthew Montgomery into the hands of Paterson on the deep mid-wicket fence, and Foakes was caught behind in the death throes of the day to leave Nottinghamshire with the initiative ahead of day four.