Thanks to a tenth wicket partnership of 118 in 25 overs between Andre Nel and Jade Dernbach, Surrey fought back strongly against Northants on day three at Wantage Road. But with the home side leading by 165 with six second innings wickets intact when bad light ended play at 5.38pm, the prospect of a positive outcome to this contest looks unlikely, especially on a pitch favouring the bat, not to mention a forecast of rain interrupting the final day.

Surrey, resuming on 210-7, added 142 to their overnight score in an action-packed morning session, during which Nel and Dernbach posted career bests.

The visitors' first objective, which was to avoid the follow-on, was achieved in the 11th over of the day when Matthew Spriegel worked Lee Daggett backward of square on the leg-side.

But with Spriegel falling to a thinly edged hook three overs later and Tim Linley also going caught behind, to make it 268-9 in the 91st over, the prospect of Surrey collecting a further batting bonus point, let alone two looked fanciful.

Dernbach pulled both of Northamptonshire's left-arm seamers for enormous sixes, while Nel played shots all around the wicket, some orthodox and a good number using improvisation.

Having just reached his first fifty for the Oval outfit, off 63 deliveries, and taken his side past the 300-mark, Nel was dropped on 51 by Niall O'Brien, who had ample time to run from his position across to point. It proved a costly miss with Surrey's tenth wicket pair adding a further 82.

In the sixth over after lunch Dernbach brought up the first fifty of his career with a cover driven four off Daggett. The 24-year-old celebrated the milestone by despatching the former Warwickshire seamer to the fence at cover later in the same over.

But three overs later Nel, playing back, was trapped on the crease by Nicky Boje for 96, leaving Dernbach with an unbeaten 56 in 67 deliveries. Nel had batted for 148 minutes, faced 125 balls and struck twelve fours.

O'Brien got Northamptonshire's second innings off to a positive start by cutting Nel through cover point for four. Two overs later, he pulled the South African for six. At the other end, Stephen Peters, having had a let-off of sorts when he edged Linley between second slip and gully, was bowled around his legs by Nel.

O'Brien then forged a fifty partnership for the second wicket with Mal Loye before nibbling at a short ball from Dernbach in the last over before tea. In the first complete over after the break, Loye was also walking back to the dressing room, after falling leg before to Chris Schofield.

Rob White and Nicky Boje then crept along at a run an over until the former drove Nel through extra cover for four in the 35th over. White then swept and cover drove boundaries off Schofield, though not before Boje had despatched the 31-year-old leg-spinner straight down the ground for four. Shortly after raising the fifty stand, however, White holed out to deep fine leg to make it a productive day all round for Nel.

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