SCHOFIELD AND WALTERS SET-UP NAIL-BITING FINISH by Marcus Hook
Gloucestershire 459 & 329-8d v Surrey 288 & 470-9. Match drawn.

When Surrey's Alistair Brown departed in the second over after lunch, to a catch at first slip off James Averis, it seemed as if Gloucestershire would avenge the innings and 297-run defeat they suffered at the hands of the Brown Caps in May. That left the visitors 210-5, chasing a target of 501, with the supposed cream of their batting back in the dressing room. But a maiden first-class fifty from Stewart Walters and an accomplished 95 off 130 balls from Chris Schofield set-up an unexpected, yet nail-biting conclusion.

The pair came together when Azhar Mahmood, who needed to bat with a runner, fell to a catch at short mid-wicket off Mark Hardinges in the 58th over. That appeared to leave Surrey facing an even bigger scrap for survival. But, instead, Walters and Schofield combined for the visitors' first hundred partnership of the match - 151 in 37 overs for the seventh wicket.

Walters held firm for three and a quarter hours to make a gallant 67 from 180 deliveries, while, at the other end, Schofield struck the ball cleanly. At tea, with the Brown Caps 319 for six, the prospect of them collecting 182 runs in the final session to score a season's double over the Bristolians seemed as likely as Tony Blair remaining Prime Minister beyond Christmas. But, to everyone's amazement, Schofield came out and hit the first three balls after the interval for four.

For the next seventeen overs, Alex Gidman, the Gloucestershire skipper, found himself under mounting pressure. Then, to the relief of his side, Walters was caught by Steve Kirby at deep fine leg off the bowling of Averis. However, the Brown Caps simply continued treating attack as the best form of defence.

In eleven scintillating overs Neil Saker scored 47 from only 42 deliveries, as 68 further runs were added for Surrey's eighth wicket. When Saker, going for the slog-sweep, was finally bowled by Vikram Banerjee in the 106th over of the innings, the visitors required 38 off six with two wickets in hand.

Sadly, Schofield was caught at mid-on two overs later, four runs short of the career-best 99 he made for Lancashire against Warwickshire in 2004, and thus ended the Brown Caps' hopes of pulling off a truly incredible victory. Surrey did, however, register their second highest total batting fourth.

Earlier in the day Jonathan Batty and Mark Ramprakash added 66 to the overnight score in the opening forty minutes. The visitors had 199 runs on the board by lunch, but lost three key wickets getting there.

Batty hit Averis through extra cover for four to go past a thousand runs for the season for the first time in his career. Ramprakash posted his second half-century of the game in 71 deliveries with twelve fours, but was caught and bowled off a leading edge by Kirby in the 27th over.

Batty advanced to 50 from 82 balls, including nine fours, before departing to an unplayable delivery from Hardinges. Then Butcher and Brown plundered 58 runs from five overs. Brown brought up the 150 with a straight six off Banerjee, however the young slow left-armer had the last laugh when he removed Mark Butcher by claiming an ankle high catch.

HIGHEST TOTALS BATTING FOURTH - BY SURREY
Total Result Top scorer Venue Year
478-9 drew with Leicestershire (set 536) 86 A.J.Tudor Leicester (GR) 2001
470-9 drew with Gloucestershire (set 501) 95 C.P.Schofield Bristol 2006
460 lost to MCC by 5 runs 130 R.J.Gregory Lord's 1938
410-8 beat Kent by 2 wickets 168* I.J.Ward Canterbury 2002

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