It would be fair to say there have been more scintillating days of cricket at the Oval this summer. But, with no real prospect of winning, only the threat of defeat, Surrey succeeded in making safe the draw. If Yorkshire were ever going to force a victory they needed to get amongst the Brown Caps batsmen during the morning session. That they failed to do so owed everything to a fourth wicket stand of 104 in 35 overs between Surrey's nightwatchman, Murtaza Hussain and Usman Afzaal, who played the central innings - a patient 105 off 198 balls that included eleven fours.

For those spectators who took advantage of the sunshine to come along and show their support four-day cricket - how the county game needs such people - the final day began encouragingly, with Scott Newman driving Deon Kruis to the backward point boundary. However, entertainment was in short supply, with it soon becoming clear that Surrey's second innings was primarily an exercise in risk management.

Newman, hooking, departed in the day's fifth over, caught behind. But Murtaza applied himself for more than 2½ hours to make his highest score as a Brown Cap. The 33-year-old's partnership with Afzaal cemented the eventual outcome. With Matt Nicholson also proving a dogged customer recently when wielding the willow, Surrey possess a lower order capable of batting them out of trouble; even if their bowlers' primary focus should be taking wickets.

Only Saqlain Mushtaq has looked like running through sides this term, but on this pitch, which must easily be the greatest friend in the country to batsmen, the wily off-spinner was carted for 139 and his 39 overs produced just two wickets. Yorkshire's Adil Rashid still has a lot to learn, but the 20-year-old leg-spinner persevered on the last day and was eventually rewarded with the wicket of Afzaal.

At the other end Anthony McGrath rotated his seamers, the pick of which was Kruis, who is the sort of bowler the Brown Caps would dearly love to have in their line-up at the moment - one who relishes hard work, can bowl a steady line and length and is no passenger in the field.

Oliver Hannon-Dalby is raw, however, and Afzaal, in particular, took advantage of the tall 18-year-old. In the 45th over, the former Notts and Northants left-hander executed two successive cover driven fours off the back foot off him. Afzaal reached his fifty, in 90 deliveries, off the first ball after lunch, but it was another 22 overs before he struck another boundary; when he helped Jacques Rudloph round the corner in the 80th over.

In-between, Murtaza hit Rashid straight for six in the 59th over, two overs before reaching his half-century off 142 balls. In the 64th, however, McGrath had the Pakistani caught behind. In the very next over Alistair Brown, offering no stroke to one that nipped back, had his off stump flattened by Tim Bresnan.

Following an impoverished start to the season, Jonathan Batty struck an undefeated 54, which included one memorable pull for six over backward square leg off Hannon-Dalby just before tea. After the break the Surrey stumper played with increasing freedom. Hannon-Dalby was on the receiving end once more when Batty cut him for four and then drove the teenager sweetly through cover.

Four overs later it was a case of déjà vu as Batty again cut and then cover drove boundaries off Hannon-Dalby before progressing to his first first-class fifty of the summer, which arrived in 108 deliveries. The single to third man which brought it up also posted the century partnership for the sixth wicket.

In the next over Afzaal reached his second championship hundred of the season, off 193 balls, but after coming down the pitch to Rashid and looking to cut he was stumped in the 100th over. Nevertheless, he had done his job.

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