As the final day at the Oval unfolded, a determined rearguard by Surrey gradually chipped away at Northamptonshire's confidence to the extent that the Wantage Road outfit eventually ran out of ideas and, ultimately, ambition. At tea, the home side were 149 runs ahead with just two wickets intact. Jade Dernbach fell leg before to Monty Panesar seven overs after the break, but the visitors' reaction to the wicket was oddly muted. The prospect of a compelling run-chase then evaporated as a number of the Northants players took it in turns to bowl spin. When the two sides shook hands on a draw at 4.21pm, Surrey led by 166 with sixteen overs remaining. A quick wicket would therefore have left Northamptonshire needing to score at ten an over to win, which, given the liberality of Surrey's bowling on day two, would not have represented a hopeless pursuit.

Resuming on 116-3, level with Northamptonshire in terms of runs, Surrey added 81 in the morning session for the loss of both of the batsmen who were not out overnight. Arun Harinath was caught behind off the sixth ball of the day, but, for the next 23 overs, Usman Afzaal and Matthew Spriegel shared in a useful stand of 52.

Spriegel gave a chance on three, when the ball flew between first slip and the wicketkeeper at catchable height, but Afzaal played with more solidity, coming out of his shell in the 72nd over, when he drove Panesar off the back foot through cover for four. But, three overs later, the former England left-hander was pinned on the crease by one that Nicky Boje got to turn out of the rough.

Shortly after lunch, Spriegel brought up his half-century, off 130 deliveries with five fours, justifying his return to the Brown Caps' line-up after being dropped for the last game, at Bristol, despite making 49 in the first innings at Canterbury in the match prior to that.

The visitors delayed taking the new ball. When they did, with David Lucas peddling an erratic line and Johann van der Wath resorting to attempting to get beneath the skin of Chris Schofield, Northants went back to spin after seven overs.

It nearly brought them the wicket of Schofield, who was dropped at slip by Andrew Hall off the bowling of Panesar in the 99th over. But Lee Daggett replaced van der Wath at the Pavilion End and struck in the 100th and 108th overs, when he trapped Spriegel leg before with a brisk yorker and uprooted Schofield's off stump with a delivery that appeared to keep a tad low.

Five overs later, Boje had Rangana Herath caught at mid-wicket, playing an ill-advised mow, to finish with figures of 4-75, the best of the match. But Daggett, who was plainly under-utilised in the second innings, after bowling tidily on day one, was arguably the pick of the bowlers on show.

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