As anticipated, Surrey and Middlesex settled for a draw and thus maintained their unbeaten records in this summer’s championship. The outcome was made even more certain when the start of play was delayed by rain, resulting in the loss of 29 overs and returned later to account for a further fifteen.

Andy Strauss and Sven Koenig dominated what action there was yesterday by putting on 186 for the first wicket; getting to within sight of the Middlesex record for this fixture, 232, which was set by P.F.Warner and J.Douglas at The Oval in 1907.

Strauss made 95 off 137 balls, including thirteen fours, and Koenig 89 in 152 deliveries; which included two swept sixes in one over from Ian Salisbury, who shouldered most of the burden with the ball following the second break for bad weather.

Sven Koenig survived an early scare when a ball from Jimmy Ormond hit him on the glove and tricked past his leg stump. But Andy Strauss continued to look in superlative form as he pulled, cut and cover drove his way to his fourth half-century of the season, which he reached in 78 deliveries. The senior partner took 90 balls over his.

Salisbury gained revenge for being dealt with so brutally, by switching to around the wicket in the 45th over and having the Middlesex captain caught by Mark Butcher at leg slip for 95. Seven overs later, Koenig also missed out on a hundred when Graham Thorpe snapped him up at first slip by off the bowling of Adam Hollioake.

Owais Shah and Ben Hutton blocked out the next six overs, though not before Hollioake was ordered out of the attack by umpire Graham Burgess, who no-balled him four times for persistent short-pitched bowling. The final over of a contest that was dominated by the bat was completed by the man who had played the most adroit innings over the four days – Surrey’s Ian Ward.

The result sees the reigning champions remain top of the Frizzell County Championship Division One table, with a six-point advantage over nearest rivals Sussex. They are a further 12 points ahead of Lancashire who, perhaps crucially, have a game in hand.

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