Surrey secure big win over Warwickshire to go 21 points clear at top of table

Surrey took just 39 minutes on the fourth morning to complete an impressive nine-wicket victory over Warwickshire at the Kia Oval and go 21 points clear at the top of Vitality County Championship Division One.

Dom Sibley finished unbeaten on 46 and Ollie Pope scored 13 not out after Surrey captain Rory Burns, on 30, hit Jacob Bethell straight to deep mid-on soon after skipping down the pitch and lofting the same bowler straight for six.

Surrey began the final day needing 58 more runs to win, after resuming on 31 without loss chasing a modest fourth-innings target of 89 for a third successive win and a maximum 24 points.

Felix Organ and James Vince put on 53 to take Hampshire out of a mini-collapse to complete a draw with Durham which had been inescapable since Friday.

Matthew Potts – two for 19 – reminded England of his skill by removing Hampshire’s openers and added a small amount of jeopardy back into the match.

But Organ and Vince made it safe with risk-free blocking before bad light and rain brought about the inevitable result at 3.40pm.

A maiden first-class century from wicketkeeper Matthew Hurst salvaged some pride for Lancashire but could not stop Nottinghamshire completing a nine-wicket win at Trent Bridge.

Nottinghamshire had begun the day scenting an innings victory, holding a 72-run advantage with Lancashire six down, but 20-year-old Hurst defied them with an impressive 104 that included 10 fours and four sixes.

Lancashire were dismissed for 252, leaving the home side needing just 81 to win, so the result was never in serious doubt.

Kent survived some occasional alarms to bat out a draw with Worcestershire on the final day of their clash at Canterbury.

The captains shook hands just after 5pm, with Kent on 146 for four in their second innings, still 65 runs behind Worcestershire’s mammoth first-innings score of 618 for seven declared.

Ben Gibbon claimed two for 38, but the visitors used nine different bowlers during Kent’s second innings and failed to break down some stiff middle-order resistance, spearheaded by Harry Finch who was unbeaten on 48.

In Division Two, pace bowler Marchant de Lange led the charge with three wickets to set up Gloucestershire’s first Championship victory since September 2022 on the final day of their clash against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.

Northamptonshire resumed on 144 for two, needing 414 more runs to win, or more realistically to bat out the whole day to secure a draw. For a while that looked a possibility as India international Karun Nair (61) and George Bartlett (42) shared a fluent stand of 83 in 24 overs.

But the second new ball proved decisive and Josh Shaw (two for 56) and De Lange (three for 58) did the damage as Northamptonshire ultimately fell to a heavy 256-run defeat.