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WICKET! Pope pokes, McCann tumbles to his right and Lyndon James celebrates. Surrey suddenly four down, and a skittish Pope goes for 41.
I know nothing. Big Josh Tongue comes back into the attack from the Vauxhall end, and Foakes pushes forward, edging to first slip. Surrey 149-3.
Surrey have reduced the target to 168 and suddenly it all seems quite manageable.
Hampshire meanwhile have lost the stonewalling Albert – a third wicket for Vaughan – 65 for three.
Washington Sundar and his shirt
To those who spotted that Washington was wearing 100 on his shirt yesterday as against ECB regulations – Hampshire have been asked to ask him to change his number.
Pope is getting the treatment here, the ball suddenly capricious, keeping low. He nearly falls over playing his next shot. But he’s still there. Surrey 128 for two.
With an hour and a bit gone, let’s wander around the other grounds.
Gubbins and Albert have dropped anchor at Taunton – 7 off 69 balls, 6 off 46 balls respectively. Hampshire 53 for two – trail Somerset by 229.
Durham have lost a second in the CLS draw, McKinney for 16. Durham 61 for two.
Gloucestershire are all out 241, a lead of 33 over Northants, who are batting again
Lancashire lost Luke Wells early for 62, but are ploughing on – Jennings a steadfast 50, Bohannon a rapid 52. Lancs 179-1.
No play yet at Derby, Hove, Edgbaston, or Grace Road.
Sibley gets himself into a right old pickle, a sort of ugly walking right angle, and ends up poking Hutton to slip. Surrey 107 for two.
Surrey will be relieved to see the temporary end of Josh Tongue, as Dillon Pennington takes over from the pavilion end. Ominously for Notts, the notoriously skittish Pope is settling into his work. Four byes fly past Verreynne.
Two wickets at Bristol already this morning – Graeme van Buuren and Zaman Akhter – but Jack Taylor is 60 not out and has guided Gloucestershire into a lead. Gloucs 230-7.
A thrilling over from Tongue, full of venom, which Pope does well to survive, but 16 from it. Surrey 96 for one, the target 219.
Hampshire lose a second wicket at Taunton, Middleton the man to go, guiding the ball into Kasey Aldridge’s giant paws off Archie Vaughan. This match is heading only one way. Hampshire 38-2 following on, 244 behind
Worcestershire have declared and Durham has already lost a wicket.
And a wicket at The Oval! Burns playing across the line to Josh Tongue, Nottinghamshire’s danger man. Surrey 74 for one.
Delays around the country
At Hove, Edgbaston, Derby and Grace Road.
Burns squats on the pitch in his regular way before making his way to the middle alongside Surrey’s regular rock, Dom Sibley, a vital anchor for Surrey’s chase. Here we go.
No play before lunch at Derby - Glamorgan close on promotion
No play today would suit Glamorgan very much – they would be elevated to Division One, alongside Leicestershire, with an unassailable 25-point lead over Derbyshire.
Taha Hashim watched Phil Salt go bananas in Ireland.
County structure latest:
Wednesday's round-up
Rain and bad light stalked The Oval as Nottinghamshire and Surrey inched towards a denouement. There was time for Notts to add another 37 runs for the last two wickets, including a corking straight drive for four from Josh Tongue. On the next ball, though, he edged behind to Matt Fisher, who finished with 11 wickets in the match. Brett Hutton was left unbeaten on an invaluable 42 for the visitors.
Set 315 to win, Rory Burns and Dom Sibley clinked down the pavilion steps, applauded by Surrey supporters sitting through the gloom. Burns had a lucky escape when he was fumbled at slip in Tongue’s first over, and he and Sibley saw Surrey safely through to mid-afternoon, when bad light stopped play with the hosts 66-0. The destination of the title may hinge on whether Surrey can successfully chase the remaining 249 runs on day four.
Worcestershire’s relegation from Division One was confirmed when they failed to pick up a third batting point at Chester-le-Street. Gareth Roderick collected 151 as Worcestershire batted all day, frustrating a Durham side desperate for their own bonus points. Sussex and Hampshire, also in the relegation mix, had mixed days. A draw looks likely at weather-hit Hove, where John Simpson’s 66 gave Sussex a 38-run first-innings lead over Yorkshire, but Hampshire are in trouble at Taunton.
The visitors were forced to follow on against Somerset after some ripping bowling from Jack Leach, who finished with a season-best seven for 69. “I have done an Ashes tour before and it didn’t go how I would have liked, so I feel like I have got some unfinished business in Australia,” Leach said. “I would love to go as part of the current team, I love what Baz and Stokesy have created … I feel good. I believe I would be in a good place to contribute for England, but we will just have to wait and see.”
Scores on the doors
Division One
Riverside: Durham v Worcestershire 591-9
Taunton: Somerset 454-8dec v Hampshire 172 and 35-1
The Oval: Surrey 173 and 66-0 v Nottinghamshire 231 and 256 Surrey need 249 to win
Hove: Sussex 232-8 v Yorkshire 194
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Essex 325-5 no play today
Division Two
The County Ground: Derbyshire 17-0 v Glamorgan 259 no play today
Bristol: Gloucestershire 158-5 v Northamptonshire 206
Old Trafford: Lancashire 105-0 v Middlesex 211
Grace Road: Leicestershire 459-7 v Kent 17-0 no play today
With the final round in mind – Notts at home to Warwickshire, Surrey away to relegation-threatened Hampshire, the win matters more to Surrey – who have a tougher final round. The weather forecast for next week is decidedly mixed.
Preamble
Good morning and welcome to The Oval for the season’s overflowing glass of champagne. A game that will almost certainly seal the season.
On the pitch, the players kick a football around. In the sky, the clouds shuffle without venom. In the stands, fans, some queueing before the gates opened, sit like single sunflowers waiting for the last summer rays.
It should be a humdinger. Do join us for the action at The Oval and round the grounds, play starts at 10.30am.
