Spin duo turn championship race Surrey's way

Courtesy of some more inept batting from its opponents, Surrey has taken a giant stride toward retaining its County Championship title with a crushing 272 run win over Lancashire at The Oval. Having proved unable to counter the pace of Alex Tudor in the first innings, it was the tandem spin combination of Ian Salisbury (5/46) and Saqlain Mushtaq (3/45) which undid the Lancastrians the second time around after they had entered the final day with all ten second innings wickets in hand and with a draw still shaping as an achievable outcome. Chasing an improbable 418 to win and to maintain their own hopes of title success, the visitors were skittled for 145, an outcome which left Surrey eleven points clear at the head of the table.

At Taunton, the match of the divisional leader's closest challenger, Yorkshire, ended in a predictable draw against Somerset. What was not quite so predictable, though, was the manner in which the game ended: a massive unbroken stand of 227 for the fourth Somerset second innings wicket between the ever-dependable Peter Bowler (139*) and Keith Parsons (108*) representing a very satisfying way for the home team to close the fixture. It was Bowler's third Championship century of the season - and a second in successive matches - and Parsons' first, but things were made easier for both as a result of Yorkshire's continuing inability to find a front-line spinner capable of adding a more penetrative edge to its attack.

Elsewhere in Division One, relegation candidates Kent and Derbyshire both staved off any impending thoughts of defeat with some determined batting on the final day of their matches against Leicestershire and Hampshire respectively. Ultimately, Kent can probably count itself fortunate that so much play had been washed out on the second day: it was at 187/7 in its second innings and clutching to a lead of a mere thirteen runs overall when play was finally called off. Robert Key (53) was, by name and by nature, the crucial force in guiding his team to safety, his vigilant half century accounting for a shade under two hundred balls when occupation of the crease was the one and only order of the day. For Leicestershire, Anil Kumble (6/44) completed a wonderful individual match in style, ending with a ten wicket haul to add to his hard-hitting first innings half century with the bat.

Insofar as it can be so measured, Derbyshire's draw was achieved in more satisfying fashion. It had entered the final day of its game still facing an overall deficit of eighteen runs and with only six wickets in hand but defied the odds well. Luke Sutton (79) and Michael DiVenuto (78*) assumed the chief responsibility for guiding their team out of trouble, the former holding the top and middle order together before the Australian fulfilled the function of rallying the lower end of the line-up. Kevin Dean (22) and Kasir Shah (33) also played their roles to perfection; the former lasted over two hours for his runs, while Shah lent DiVenuto magnificent support in a ninth wicket partnership which realised a priceless 79 runs. Against a persistent attack which remained brilliantly led by Alan Mullally (5/95), the home team's resilience might well give it the boost in morale and confidence that it so badly needs in the closing games of the season if the threat of dropping to Division Two is somehow to be averted. Hampshire, meanwhile, remains six points behind Derbyshire at the very bottom of the table.

As for Division Two itself, Gloucestershire took most of the day's honours when it put the finishing touches on a comprehensive ten wicket win over Glamorgan at Bristol. For the Welshmen, stern defiance in the face of the inevitable came from Stuart Thomas (48*), whose comfort against the home team's attack at a position as low as number nine in the order, while welcomed, provided a clear indictment of much of the 'batting' further up the list. Together with other handy contributions from Mike Powell (61), Alex Wharf (31) and David Harrison (27), Thomas was responsible for lifting his team to a final second innings tally of 210 which, if nothing else, at least ensured that Gloucestershire was forced to bat a second time itself. So lopsided had the match become by then, though, that it took a mere twenty-seven deliveries for Dominic Hewson (13*) and Tim Hancock (4*) to provide the ultimate reward for the excellent work earlier performed by nineteen year old Alastair Bressington (4/36).

Middlesex and Essex - two teams badly in need of victories themselves - provided another entertaining day's cricket but ultimately endured a much more frustrating finish. This had never been a game that had showcased particularly good batting and so it was once more on the final day. Before his side ultimately declared at a second innings score of 174/9, again only Mark Ramprakash (49) looked genuinely comfortable against an even attack for Middlesex as it set for its opponent a target of 262 for victory. Simon Cook (4/13) and Phil Tufnell (3/45) established domination of proceedings from almost the outset of Essex's attempt but the painstaking defiance of Ronnie Irani (25* from 118 balls) and Ashley Cowan (5* from 86 balls) was enough to ensure that the game eventually petered out.

A maiden five wicket haul in the Championship for Paul Reiffel (5/62) led Nottinghamshire to a handy forty-four run first innings lead over Warwickshire at Trent Bridge but matters took a dramatic twist late in the day with a devastating burst of his own from rival paceman Ed Giddins. Giddins (4/46), something of a forgotten man in English cricket this summer, provided a spell to remember as he reduced the locals to 55/5 at one point to help potentially set up a great finish tomorrow. In Warwickshire's 324, David Hemp (70) was the mainstay, while Darren Bicknell (15*) and Chris Read (14*) did an excellent job in seeing out the last half hour to guide Notts to the safety of stumps.

In the final match, Northamptonshire maintained almost complete domination over an ailing Worcestershire. Resuming at 340/4, the hosts continued to make their way largely unhindered to a massive first innings total of 519; Tony Penberthy (83), Russell Warren (60) and David Ripley (56) all spending long periods at the crease. For a Worcestershire attack showing all the signs of being rudderless in the absence of spearhead Glenn McGrath, only Stuart Lampitt (5/63) was really able to hold his head high. Darren Cousins (2/4) then compounded the visitors' plight with an incisive new ball burst that left them at 7/2 on their way to a score of 97/4 by the halfway point of the match.