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Tea time scores
Division One
Riverside: Durham 277-3 v Worcestershire 591-9dec
Taunton: Somerset 454-8dec v Hampshire 172 and 129-5
The Oval: Nottinghamshire 231 and 256 BEAT Surrey 173 and 294 by 20 runs
Hove: Sussex 250 v Yorkshire 194 and 85-3
Edgbaston: Warwickshire DRAW with Essex 325-5
Division Two
The County Ground: Derbyshire 17-0 DRAW with Glamorgan 259
Bristol: Gloucestershire 241 v Northamptonshire 206 and 171-5
Old Trafford: Lancashire 375-5dec v Middlesex 211 and 26-1
Grace Road: Leicestershire 459-7 DRAW with Kent 17-0
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What a magnificent afternoon, and an unreal bowling performance by Tongue, who dragged Notts back into that by the toenails. Notts win at The Oval for the first time since 2008, Surrey’s first defeat of the year, leaving Notts going into the final round with a 17 point lead.
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WICKET! Lawes c Slater b Tongue ee (Surrey 294 all out) Notts beat Surrey by 20 runs
Lawes throws the bat at Tongue, it flies… but only to Slater at the point boundary!! Five for Tongue – who leads the players off. Incredible!
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71st over: Surrey 294-9 (Worrall 1, Lawes 33) Surrey need 21 to win Worrall survives two balls and they steal the leg bye on Hutton’s lbw appeal. Another single, and another, to huge applause from the crowd. A consultation at the top of Hutton’s mark, and another, Hameed’s long arms wave the fielders around. We’re not going to take tea at the usual time, the session will continue to 3.30.
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Updated at 16.13 CEST
70th over: Surrey 290-9 (Worrall 0, Lawes 31) Surrey need 25 to win Encouragement from the stands between balls, silence as Tongue thunders in, long, long legs, elbows out. Lawes wants to win this on his own: swings – an inside edge to the rope. Then an outside edge to the third man boundary. Tongue, unimpressed, hits Lawes on the body.
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69th over: Surrey 282-9 (Worrall 0, Lawes 23) Surrey need 34 to win One from Hutton’s over which gives Lawes the booby prize of facing Tongue.
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68th over: Surrey 281-9 (Worrall 0, Lawes 22) Surrey need 34 to win What an over! First Atkinson’s wicket, then a huge lbw appeal against Fisher first ball, Tongue has his hands on his head in anguish, be can’t believe it isn’t out. Suitably furious, he throws down a bouncer which booms off Fisher’s arm guard to the rope. And then the second wicket from a ball too fast, too good.
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WICKET! Fisher b Tongue 0 (Surrey 281 for 9)
Middle stump flat on its back! An awesome delivery nips back. Fisher hangs his head. Two in the over.
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WICKET! Atkinson c Patterson-White b Tongue 11 (Surrey 277 for 8)
Jubilation for Notts! A birdsnest of handslapping and leaps as Atkinson slopes off. Quick and on target from Tongue, Atkinson gives slip some catching practise.
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67th over: Surrey 277-7 (Atkinson 11, Lawes 22) Surrey need 38 to win At mid-on Hameed folds his arms – is there anything else up his sleeve? Hutton continues, Atkinson nearly drags him back into his stumps. The sun comes out.
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Updated at 15.53 CEST
66th over: Surrey 275-7 (Atkinson 10, Lawes 21) Surrey need 40 to win Josh Tongue changes ends, running in now from just in front of the pavilion. He rubs his foot in the footmarks, falls into deep conversation with his captain. After one run from four deliveries, Lawes unfurls another four, a wristy cover drive on the up.
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65th over: Surrey 269-7 (Atkinson 9, Lawes 16) Surrey need 46 to win Hutton trundles in, Surrey take a quick single but Hameed’s throw is wild from mid-on. I think he was safe anyway. Another quiet over, just two from it.
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Updated at 15.42 CEST
64th over: Surrey 267-7 (Atkinson 8, Lawes 15) Surrey need 48 to win Nos 8 and 9 are playing with real confidence, you’d never guess what was on the. The slips fold their arms, the fielders bite their nails.Just two from the over.
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63rd over: Surrey 265-7 (Atkinson 7, Lawes 14) Surrey need 50 to win Hutton replaces Tongue after that unsuccessful two-over spell. He beats Lawes with his second ball, but is tonked square for four from the third – lovely shot. And another, down the ground, beating a desperate, sprinting Hameed and Clarke to the rope.
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62nd over: Surrey 256-7 (Atkinson 6, Lawes 6) Surrey need 59 to win The floodlights wink bright in the gloom, the flags gusting into the wind. Pennington pounds once more from the pavilion end. Surrey milk some singles and Lawes is hit, winces but presses on.
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61st over: Surrey 253-7 (Atkinson 4, Lawes 5) Surrey need 62 to win Tongue, back, 12 big steps to the crease. HH polishes the ball on his long sleeves. Some tight Notts fielding saves boundaries, but Lawes off-drives the penultimate ball furiously for four.
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60th over: Surrey 246-7 (Atkinson 2, Lawes 0) Surrey need 69 to win Pennington rushes in from the pavilion end, running away from the Surrey members increasingly packing the decks. Lawrences trudges off after that lbw and I can see Tongue taking his jumper off for the next over.
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WICKET! Lawrence lbw Pennington 50 (Surrey 246-7)
Lawrence is not happy, hit as he shuffles across his stumps but the umpire has no hesitation. Two wickets in two overs and the equation changes again.
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Fifty for Dan Lawrence
59th over: Surrey 244-6 (Lawrence 50, Atkinson 2) Surrey need 69 to win HH gambles on Patterson-White for the first spin of the innings. Applause for the fifty partnership, applause for Lawrence’s 50 off just 53 balls. And then Curran has a rush of blood to bring Notts back into the game. Great little innings though.
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WICKET! Curran st Patterson-White 33 (Surrey 244 for six)
Spin does the job! A pumped up Curran decides to charge the ball, misses and pays the price.
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Elsewhere, at a gallop.
Hampshire are successfully stonewalling at Taunton. Hants 90 for three.
Emilio Gay and David Bedingham both in the runs as Durham go for batting points at CLS. Durham– 173 for three.
Yorkshire – ?! – are 18 for three at Hove, still 38 behind. Lyth, Bean and Agarwal all back in the pavilion. Yorks 18 for three, all the wickets to Coles.
Singh Dale has two wickets in his penultimate game for Gloucestershire, Northants 97 for four, a lead of 62. Expect Saif Zaib (18 not out) to save the day.
And Lancashire’s batters are making merry, 344 for five. Hurst 57 not out.
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The floodlights are on; Tongue pounds in. Anticipation in the stands. HH and Tongue in discussion and fiddle with the field. Lawrence bangs four to finish the over. 86 needed.
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Surrey’s target drops below 100
Make that a target of 92 – three fearless fours off Pennington’s over, which goes for 17. Notts need wickets, Surrey aren’t hanging around.
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Surrey are not taking the Hampshire approach, Tom Curran picks up Tongue and heaves him to the rope, then Lawrence sledge-hammers Pennington to the deep midwicket rope. The target now only 105.
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Music to Surrey ears from Warwickshire head coach Ian Westwood:
“We want to finish as high up the table as we can so we will go to Nottinghamshire next week and give it everything. We will be keen to put in a good performance no matter what the permutations in the league table. We have got a lot of pride as a team and hopefully we have shown that this year.”
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A moment of madness from Ryan Patel who topples backwards going for a pull and splices the ball into the air where HH waits and takes the catch at mid on. Surrey five down, need 122.
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Essex almost safe after Edgbaston draw
Barring some extremely unlikely results next week, Essex are are safe in Division One for another year.
Edgbaston: Warwickshire DRAW WITH Essex 325-5
Warwickshire 9 points, Essex 10.
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Tongue provokes an edge, Patel on 1, but Verreynne diving across first slip can’t hold on. Tongue bends from his middle, like a torpedoed ship.
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Leicestershire are Division Two Champions after drawing with Kent!
A soggy if inevitable end to the game at Grace Road leaves Leicestershire uncatchable, and rising to Division One as Division Two Champions.
Grace Road: Leicestershire 459-7 DRAW with Kent 17-0
Foxes are mint: Leicestershire are Division 2 champions Photograph: John Mallett/ProSports/ShutterstockShare
Updated at 14.19 CEST
Afternoon session
Tongue from the pavilion end at The Oval, thunders in. Fast, on the money. Four from the over.
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Glamorgan DRAW with Derbyshire
They cut their loses at Derby
The County Ground: Derbyshire 17-0 DRAW with Glamorgan 259
Glamorgan take 9 points, Derby 11 points, which ends Derbyshire’s hopes of promotion. Glamorgan are nearly there.
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Lunchtime scores
Division One
Riverside: Durham 109-2 v Worcestershire 591-9dec
Taunton: Somerset 454-8dec v Hampshire 172 and 82-3
The Oval: Surrey 173 and 163-4 v Nottinghamshire 231 and 256 Surrey need 152 to win
Hove: Sussex 232-8 v Yorkshire 194 no play yet today
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Essex 325-5 no play yet today
Division Two
The County Ground: Derbyshire 17-0 DRAW with Glamorgan 259
Bristol: Gloucestershire 241 v Northamptonshire 206 and 55-3
Old Trafford: Lancashire 239-3 v Middlesex 211
Grace Road: Leicestershire 459-7 v Kent 17-0 no play yet today
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More and more heads are now visible in The Oval stands as they go into lunch, the game, definitely/defiantly in the balance. Surrey need 152 to win.
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WICKET! Pope pokes, McCann tumbles to his right and Lyndon James celebrates. Surrey suddenly four down, and a skittish Pope goes for 41.
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I know nothing. Big Josh Tongue comes back into the attack from the Vauxhall end, and Foakes pushes forward, edging to first slip. Surrey 149-3.
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Surrey have reduced the target to 168 and suddenly it all seems quite manageable.
Hampshire meanwhile have lost the stonewalling Albert – a third wicket for Vaughan – 65 for three.
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Washington Sundar and his shirt
To those who spotted that Washington was wearing 100 on his shirt yesterday as against ECB regulations – Hampshire have been asked to ask him to change his number.
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Pope is getting the treatment here, the ball suddenly capricious, keeping low. He nearly falls over playing his next shot. But he’s still there. Surrey 128 for two.
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With an hour and a bit gone, let’s wander around the other grounds.
Gubbins and Albert have dropped anchor at Taunton – 7 off 69 balls, 6 off 46 balls respectively. Hampshire 53 for two – trail Somerset by 229.
Durham have lost a second in the CLS draw, McKinney for 16. Durham 61 for two.
Gloucestershire are all out 241, a lead of 33 over Northants, who are batting again
Lancashire lost Luke Wells early for 62, but are ploughing on – Jennings a steadfast 50, Bohannon a rapid 52. Lancs 179-1.
No play yet at Derby, Hove, Edgbaston, or Grace Road.
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Sibley gets himself into a right old pickle, a sort of ugly walking right angle, and ends up poking Hutton to slip. Surrey 107 for two.
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Surrey will be relieved to see the temporary end of Josh Tongue, as Dillon Pennington takes over from the pavilion end. Ominously for Notts, the notoriously skittish Pope is settling into his work. Four byes fly past Verreynne.
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Two wickets at Bristol already this morning – Graeme van Buuren and Zaman Akhter – but Jack Taylor is 60 not out and has guided Gloucestershire into a lead. Gloucs 230-7.
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A thrilling over from Tongue, full of venom, which Pope does well to survive, but 16 from it. Surrey 96 for one, the target 219.
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Hampshire lose a second wicket at Taunton, Middleton the man to go, guiding the ball into Kasey Aldridge’s giant paws off Archie Vaughan. This match is heading only one way. Hampshire 38-2 following on, 244 behind
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Worcestershire have declared and Durham has already lost a wicket.
And a wicket at The Oval! Burns playing across the line to Josh Tongue, Nottinghamshire’s danger man. Surrey 74 for one.
A view of play during day four at the Oval. Photograph: John Walton/PAShare
Updated at 13.21 CEST
Delays around the country
At Hove, Edgbaston, Derby and Grace Road.
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Updated at 12.57 CEST
Burns squats on the pitch in his regular way before making his way to the middle alongside Surrey’s regular rock, Dom Sibley, a vital anchor for Surrey’s chase. Here we go.
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No play before lunch at Derby – Glamorgan close on promotion
No play today would suit Glamorgan very much – they would be elevated to Division One, alongside Leicestershire, with an unassailable 25-point lead over Derbyshire.
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Taha Hashim watched Phil Salt go bananas in Ireland.
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County structure latest:
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Wednesday’s round-up
Rain and bad light stalked The Oval as Nottinghamshire and Surrey inched towards a denouement. There was time for Notts to add another 37 runs for the last two wickets, including a corking straight drive for four from Josh Tongue. On the next ball, though, he edged behind to Matt Fisher, who finished with 11 wickets in the match. Brett Hutton was left unbeaten on an invaluable 42 for the visitors.
Set 315 to win, Rory Burns and Dom Sibley clinked down the pavilion steps, applauded by Surrey supporters sitting through the gloom. Burns had a lucky escape when he was fumbled at slip in Tongue’s first over, and he and Sibley saw Surrey safely through to mid-afternoon, when bad light stopped play with the hosts 66-0. The destination of the title may hinge on whether Surrey can successfully chase the remaining 249 runs on day four.
Worcestershire’s relegation from Division One was confirmed when they failed to pick up a third batting point at Chester-le-Street. Gareth Roderick collected 151 as Worcestershire batted all day, frustrating a Durham side desperate for their own bonus points. Sussex and Hampshire, also in the relegation mix, had mixed days. A draw looks likely at weather-hit Hove, where John Simpson’s 66 gave Sussex a 38-run first-innings lead over Yorkshire, but Hampshire are in trouble at Taunton.
The visitors were forced to follow on against Somerset after some ripping bowling from Jack Leach, who finished with a season-best seven for 69. “I have done an Ashes tour before and it didn’t go how I would have liked, so I feel like I have got some unfinished business in Australia,” Leach said. “I would love to go as part of the current team, I love what Baz and Stokesy have created … I feel good. I believe I would be in a good place to contribute for England, but we will just have to wait and see.”
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Scores on the doors
Division One
Riverside: Durham v Worcestershire 591-9
Taunton: Somerset 454-8dec v Hampshire 172 and 35-1
The Oval: Surrey 173 and 66-0 v Nottinghamshire 231 and 256 Surrey need 249 to win
Hove: Sussex 232-8 v Yorkshire 194
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Essex 325-5 no play today
Division Two
The County Ground: Derbyshire 17-0 v Glamorgan 259 no play today
Bristol: Gloucestershire 158-5 v Northamptonshire 206
Old Trafford: Lancashire 105-0 v Middlesex 211
Grace Road: Leicestershire 459-7 v Kent 17-0 no play today
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With the final round in mind – Notts at home to Warwickshire, Surrey away to relegation-threatened Hampshire, the win matters more to Surrey – who have a tougher final round. The weather forecast for next week is decidedly mixed.
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Preamble
Good morning and welcome to The Oval for the season’s overflowing glass of champagne. A game that will almost certainly seal the season.
On the pitch, the players kick a football around. In the sky, the clouds shuffle without venom. In the stands, fans, some queueing before the gates opened, sit like single sunflowers waiting for the last summer rays.
It should be a humdinger. Do join us for the action at The Oval and round the grounds, play starts at 10.30am.
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