| LV= County Championship Division One, Kia Oval (day one) |
| Northamptonshire 171-6: Nair 51*, Azad 48; Lawes 3-47 |
| Surrey: But to bat |
| Northamptonshire 0pts, Surrey 2pts |
| Match scorecard |
A burst of three wickets in 25 balls gave leaders Surrey the impetus after that they had initially been made to work onerous by Northamptonshire on a rain-affected first day at The Kia Oval.
The guests – with out a win on the Oval since 1994 – want a miracle to keep away from relegation within the County Championship however that they had grafted to 106-2 earlier than Surrey, who began the penultimate spherical of matches with an 18-point lead over second-placed Essex, took 4 wickets when play resumed after a two-hour rain delay.
At stumps, Northants had reached 171-6 from 63.4 overs with Indian batter Karun Nair undefeated on 51.
Openers Emilio Homosexual, who made 145 when these sides met at Northampton a 12 months in the past, and Hassan Azad did nicely to barter testing opening spells by Kemar Roach and Dan Worrall for the primary 11 overs after they amassed solely 33 runs.
Roach gave option to Jordan Clark, who made the breakthrough together with his fourth ball when Homosexual tickled a rising supply down the leg facet to offer Ben Foakes his fiftieth catch on this season’s Championship. On the similar time Clark grew to become Surrey’s main wicket-taker on 47.
Jamie Overton, in the meantime, had bowled solely 17 balls after changing Worrall on the Vauxhall Finish earlier than strolling off the sector, feeling his hip.
The massive quick bowler quickly returned to the sector, nevertheless, and though he caught Luke Procter at second slip off Tom Lawes for eight to scale back Northants to 51-2, he additionally badly dropped Nair on 11 off the returning Worrall.
Left-hander Azad and Nair, who made 78 in a dropping trigger in opposition to Warwickshire on his debut final week, each left the ball nicely in useful situations for Surrey’s seam assault.
Solely six overs had been attainable instantly after lunch, with Northants including 10 runs to their interval whole earlier than rain arrived. A prolonged delay adopted which included an early tea, and Azad had battled for 151 balls for his 48 when he gloved a pull to Foakes at a near-90mph brief ball from Worrall.
Surrey struck once more with the whole on 132 in a repeat of Procter’s dismissal when Lawes picked up his second wicket to take away Rob Keogh.
The leaders now obtained on high. Overton pitched one up and Saif Zaib was caught behind for 2 and, shortly earlier than unhealthy mild compelled the gamers off, Lawes produced an excellent yorker which uprooted Lewis McManus’ off-stump for his third wicket to safe a second bonus level.
The sunshine improved to permit one other 10 balls and there was time for Nair to achieve an unbeaten half-century from 109 balls with 9 fours.
A lot is dependent upon him on Wednesday if Northants are to publish a aggressive whole.
Report provided by ECB Reporters’ Community.