This match was heading for a draw even before rain put paid to 69.3 overs on day three. On the final day, the main objective for both sides was to turn round their tardy over-rates, so as to avoid losing points. When that was achieved it was left to Essex's Varun Chopra and Hashim Amla to improve their batting averages. Finally, indeed mercifully, at 4.32pm, even though the conditions were just about acceptable, Tim Linley's felling of Mark Pettini - coupled with a power cut which meant that neither scoreboard could operate - gave the umpires the excuse they needed to draw a line under this contest. But, if anyone asks, the game ended in bad light.

The visitors failed to negotiate the seven overs before lunch safely, with John Maunders, attempting to work the ball behind square on the leg-side, perishing in Jade Dernbach's first over. But the visitors' second wicket pair, who put on 141 in 38 overs, proved far more resilient.

Chopra, who struck two fours in the first over of the innings, was particularly strong through the off-side. The 22-year-old reached his fifty off 80 balls by despatching Chris Schofield to the extra cover boundary for his eighth four. Off the next delivery he brought up the hundred for Essex in similar fashion.

Amla, meanwhile, excelled at manoeuvring the ball into the gaps, whilst also seizing on anything over-pitched. Six overs after Chopra's half-century was reached, the South African brought up his own in 103 deliveries with his seventh boundary, a cut four off Schofield.

Chopra then hit four boundaries in the space of two overs from the former England leg-spinner. Schofield had the last laugh when he held on to a stinging return catch, but his smile soon disappeared when Amla pulled him into the trees for six.

Matthew Walker pulled one four and cut two more off Usman Afzaal shortly before tea, but in the third over after the break was caught at head height at second slip off Linley. Six overs later, Pettini was struck on the chest by Linley and came close to falling on to his stumps. That he didn't owed everything to his improvised Fosbury Flop.

Earlier, resuming on 111, Stewart Walters hit the first boundary of the day, down to third man. In the same over, the second complete over of the day's play, the acting Surrey captain added another boundary to his tally when he clipped David Masters through the on-side.

At the other end, Chris Murtagh cut and cover drove two fours off Tony Palladino before edging Masters low to Maunders at second slip in the 109th over. A couple of overs later he was joined in the pavilion by his skipper, who, having just on driven Masters to the rope at mid-wicket, was caught at first slip. Walters's 142 off 277 balls, which included 21 fours and a maximum, more than twice bettered his previous highest score in first-class cricket.

Chris Jordan played one delightful drive through extra cover before shouldering arms two overs later and having his off stump flattened upon Napier's re-introduction. 350-7 soon became 351-8 when Andre Nel, playing neither back nor forward, was caught off bat and pad at short leg to give James Middlebrook his only success in the innings. But with nine balls left before Essex's pursuit of a third bowling point would reach closure, the Brown Caps declared.

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