Surrey move closer to Division One title but Northamptonshire relegated despite draw

Surrey were asked to follow on 172 runs behind after being bowled out for 185 in reply to Northamptonshire's 357, but Rory Burns and Dom Sibley batted diligently for an unbroken stand of 142

Kia Oval (fourth day of four): Northamptonshire 357, Surrey 185 & 142-0 (f/o) - match drawn

Surrey negotiated the best part of the final day to draw with Northamptonshire at the Kia Oval and initially looked to be taking a slender advantage into the final week of the LV= Insurance County Championship season.

But with Essex slipping up against Hampshire, they are now 20 points clear at the top of the table.

For Northamptonshire, however, their gamble to enforce the follow-on rather than set the leaders a target on the final day did not work out and despite Middlesex losing to Warwickshire, Kent's draw with Somerset means they have been relegated to Division Two.

^{Rory Burns shared a vital 142-run partnership with Dom Sibley after Surrey were asked to follow-on [Ben Hoskins/Getty Images]}

Surrey were asked to follow on 172 runs behind after being bowled out for 185 in reply to Northamptonshire's 357.

But openers Dom Sibley and Rory Burns batted diligently in the hour before lunch against some testing new-ball bowling from Northants' seamers and throughout the final two sessions in some of the best batting conditions of a rain-affected four days.

When the players came off at 4.20pm for bad light and the players shook hands with 19 overs remaining, Surrey had reached 142 for 0 with Burns unbeaten on 71 and Sibley 67.

Surrey took eight points to take them to 213. Northamptonshire collected 11 points but will not be able to overhaul the 25-point gap to eighth-placed Kent.

Surrey's first innings, which resumed on 158 for 6, lasted for only another 52 minutes and 11.2 overs on the final morning as their remaining four wickets fell for just 27 runs.

Jamie Overton, who had struck a counter-attacking half-century on the third afternoon, added a single before edging Jack White to first slip on 51 and, in White's next over, Dan Worrall was bowled for a duck.

^{Jack White picked up four wickets as Northamptonshire bowled Surrey out for 185 [Shaun Botterill/Getty Images]}

Tom Lawes made seven before giving Karun Nair his second catch of the morning at first slip, this time off Sanderson, and Ben Foakes – on 33 overnight – was now left with last man Kemar Roach for company, and with another 34 runs required to save the follow on.

Foakes chipped away for a while but, on 42, went across his stumps in a bid to whip Taylor's fast-medium away to midwicket and was out lbw. Taylor finished with first innings figures of 2 for 39 and there were also two wickets for both Sanderson and Procter, in support of the impressive White's 4 for 45.

Sibley survived two strong lbw appeals in successive overs from Ben Sanderson on 12 and Tom Taylor on 13, the first pitching marginally outside the line and the second possibly sliding down the leg side.

But after lunch it got easier with Burns passing fifty for the fourth time this season while Sibley lodged his fifth half-century of the summer with few alarms.

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