County Championship: Surrey maintain slender lead after draw with Yorkshire

Surrey maintained their one-point lead over Nottinghamshire at the top of the Division One table but Yorkshire are back in the bottom two after both counties played out a high-scoring County Championship draw at Scarborough.

Unbeaten champions Surrey’s seventh draw in 10 games yielded 14 bonus points and gives them a slender advantage with four rounds remaining having replied to a first-innings 517-6 declared with 537 all out shortly after lunch.

Yorkshire, meanwhile, have slipped back into the second relegation place with their fourth draw that yielded 13 points.

Essex jumped above them with victory at Sussex. However, Durham are now firmly in the dogfight having lost to Somerset.

Before a ball was bowled on day four, a draw was inevitable with Surrey on 338-4.

Josh Blake’s 72 off 112 balls was his maiden first-class fifty as Surrey ended with a 20-run lead on first innings.

Yorkshire captain Jonny Bairstow was absent after his partner went into labour, leaving Dom Bess in charge and he returned a season’s best 7-162 with his off-spin.

Yorkshire started their second innings with a minimum of 57 overs remaining.

All five Yorkshire wickets fell to spin either side of tea on a pitch offering assistance.

Dan Lawrence played his part in three of the last four.

His spin had the other opener Adam Lyth caught at slip by Jamie Overton for 34 before being the catcher for the next two as Yorkshire fell to 81-4.

James Wharton was caught at silly point off Sai Kishore for 25 and Will Luxton at leg-slip off Will Jacks.

When Jacks trapped Matthew Revis lbw offering no shot on the back foot, Yorkshire were 108 for five but still safe.

Given the high-scoring nature of this weather-affected game, it was a surprise that all-rounder Revis was the only man to post a hundred – 110 not out in the first innings.