SURREY'S FOUR-DAY WOES CONTINUE by Marcus Hook
Northamptonshire 397 v Surrey 210-7.

Northampton was the scene of Surrey's last win in the County Championship. On the evidence of the first two days, it is not going to be the setting of their next. Surrey, who have made an unbeaten start to the season in one-day cricket, continue to falter in the longer format. Tim Linley's career best 5-105 dragged the visitors back into the match by helping to polish off Northamptonshire's tail. But, in reply, other than a 70 from Mark Ramprakash, Surrey's batsmen failed to establish themselves. With Chris Schofield and Tom Jewell falling in the space of 13 deliveries, the Oval outfit ended day two still 37 runs short of avoiding the follow-on with three wickets intact.

Proceedings began with Mal Loye driving Andre Nel off back foot through cover for four. Nel, clearly troubled by an injury to his right leg, sent down just one further over. In the eighth over of the day, Loye cut Linley to the rope at backward point. Two overs later, Nicky Boje drove the former Sussex seamer on the up through extra cover for four.

But then Boje, attempting to steal a quick single to mid-on off Jade Dernbach, was run out at bowler's end by Schofield to bring the curtain down on a stand of 193 in 55 overs for the sixth wicket. Four balls later, James Middlebrook lost sight of a slower ball from Dernbach to be LBW.

In the 110th over, Chaminda Vaas had his off stump plucked out by one that Linley got to nip back. That made it 370-8. A couple of overs later, David Willey was brilliantly caught at cover by Usman Afzaal. Two deliveries after being struck on the right hand by a lifting ball from Dernbach, Loye pulled him four to reach his 150 in 291 deliveries.

Three overs later, Loye slog swept Linley for six and then four to move to 164. But Linley had the last laugh when he sent Loye's off stump cartwheeling to register his best figures in first-class cricket.

Needing 247 to avoid the follow-on, the visitors lost Arun Harinath to the third ball of the innings, his first - caught at third slip off Vaas. Four overs later, Ramprakash got off the mark with an extra cover driven four off the Sri Lankan. In the sixth over Steven Davies registered his first boundary by despatching Willey through the off-side.

Forty minutes after lunch Davies nibbled at short ball from Lee Daggett to make it 50-2. Rory Hamilton-Brown then shared in an agreeable 65-run stand with Ramprakash for Surrey's third wicket. But, after starting brightly, Hamilton-Brown was caught behind off Boje for 30 in the 37th over.

Ramprakash went to fifty in 105 deliveries with a swept four off Boje shortly before the visitors went to tea on 128-3. But, in the third over after the break, that became 136-4 when Afzaal, on the walk, lost his off stump to Daggett.

Matthew Spriegel on drove the third ball he received, from Daggett, for four. Eight overs later Ramprakash lifted James Middlebrook over long-on for six. But then the former Middlesex batsman, attempting a repeat dose, was caught at backward point off a thick outside edge. His 70 came off 159 deliveries and included eleven fours and one maximum.

Shortly before stumps, Andrew Hall returned to the attack to heap further misery on Surrey. Bowling around the wicket, the Northants skipper plucked out Schofield's off stump in the 72nd over. Two overs later he trapped Jewell leg before with full-length delivery.

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