Burns, Sibley carry the fight as Surrey, Notts face thrilling final-day showdown

A thrilling last day is in prospect at the Kia Oval, where Surrey need a further 249 runs with all their second innings wickets in hand to beat Nottinghamshire and take a giant step towards a fourth successive Rothesay County Championship title.

Rory Burns, the Surrey captain, is leading the charge with 41 not out as the champions reached 66 for no wicket in just 16 overs after setting off in search of 315 for victory on a third day much shortened by bad weather.

Dom Sibley is also unbeaten on 18 and the two redoubtable Surrey openers steadied home nerves after they had first bowled out Notts for a second-innings 256 by taking their last two wickets for 37 runs in ten overs.

Matt Fisher took the first Notts wicket to fall on the day to finish with six for 73, and an outstanding match analysis of 11 for 134, while Gus Atkinson grabbed the other tailend Notts wicket.

With both teams picking up just three bowling bonus points so far from what has been a low-scoring contest, Surrey remain just one point ahead of Notts at the top of the Division One table - meaning that the 16 points on offer for a win assume critical importance in deciding the likely destiny of the championship title with only one round of matches to come next week.

Surrey's target is a stiff one, given that the ball has moved around for the quicker bowlers throughout the game, but there were signs on both the second evening and on a truncated day three that batting was becoming just a little bit more comfortable.

Notts, indeed, may live to rue Liam Patterson-White's dropped catch at first slip when Burns, on 18, edged Josh Tongue low to his left in the England Test paceman's first over.

Other than that chance, however, both Burns and Sibley looked in good order as they gave their team a solid base from which to build their run chase before more bad light ruled out any resumption following an early tea.

Bad light and drizzle had earlier prevented a start until 1.10pm, and Brett Hutton in particular batted with controlled aggression to go from his 23 not out overnight to an unbeaten 42 from 43 balls.

Tongue, who resumed on 14, had just played a lovely on drive for four off Fisher when, on 22, he drove again and edged a catch behind.

Dillon Pennington stayed a while, reaching eight as 15 more runs were added for the final wicket, before Atkinson produced a perfect yorker to hit the base of the No 11's off stump.