Gloucestershire, with four second innings wickets remaining, take a modest lead of 181 into today’s final day. But with rain forecast for the South East, Surrey need to have the full blessing of the weather gods if they are to stand any chance of registering the victory they need here to lift themselves out of the relegation zone in Division One of the Frizzell County Championship. Even if they do Mark Butcher’s men will have one match less to come than their nearest rivals, Middlesex.

With scores of 93, 142 and 84 already this season against the Ovalites, the main obstacle for the home side will be Alex Gidman. Last night, Gloucestershire’s stand-in skipper made an unbeaten 40 in 93 deliveries and rarely looked troubled; more to the contrary, at one point he dropped Nayan Doshi into the bottom tier of the Members’ Pavilion for six.

Yesterday, Surrey’s chances of making short work of the visitors’ second dig appeared to have been dealt a severe blow in the fourth over after lunch when Azhar Mahmood, fielding at slip, took the ball just above the right eye as Kadeer Ali aimed to cut Saqlain Mushtaq. Thankfully, from the hosts’ point of view, Azhar returned to the field following a brief absence, by which stage Mohammad Akram was proving an even greater handicap.

Azhar had accounted for Craig Spearman early on, but Kadeer reached only his second half-century in 13 championship innings for his new county in Akram’s first over after lunch by cutting then driving the journeyman seamer through the off-side for two boundaries in three balls. Ramnaresh Sarwan’s fifty, which took just 57 deliveries, arrived two overs later when the 25-year-old drove his ninth boundary straight up the ground off the sombre-looking seamer.

Doshi crept one through Kadeer’s defences with his eighth delivery, to bring the curtain down on the first three-figure partnership Surrey have conceded for the second wicket in this summer’s County Championship – 151 in thirty overs. But Sarwan moved majestically into the nineties when he launched the slow left-armer over extra cover for six. The West Indian’s second championship century in as many matches appeared to be a nailed-on certainty until the 49th over when he lapped Saqlain hard, but straight to Alistair Brown at square leg after getting bogged down.

After tea Matt Windows shouldered arms to Doshi and, two balls later, Steve Adshed holed out to cover. For once things appeared to be going the way of Surrey, but Gidman, leading from the front again and showing no sign of nerves, ensured that his side only suffered one further loss – that of Mark Hardinges – before bad light brought about an premature conclusion to proceedings.

Earlier, Mark Ramprakash perished eight runs short of what would have been his tenth double-century in first-class cricket, as William Rudge completed a hat-trick of England Test scalps. After helping to put on 93 for the eighth wicket, the former Middlesex man was caught at low down at slip. Tim Murtagh, who went to his second championship fifty of the summer in 71 deliveries, was close to doubling his overnight score when he lost his middle stump to Hardinges. On this occasion, however, Saqlain did not display his infuriating qualities with the bat. If the players get on the pitch today, it will be what the Pakistan off-spinner can do with the ball that may yet determine the outcome of this evenly balanced encounter.

GO TO:

BACK TO: