Middlesex blunt Surrey

County Championship D1, Lord's: Middlesex 370 & 218-2 dec drew with Surrey 568
Points: Middlesex 6, Surrey 8

Full scorecard

Middlesex overcame another large first innings deficit to force a draw with cross-town rivals Surrey at Lord's.

Openers Andy Strauss and Sven Koenig were again to the fore on a rain-hit day, sharing a partnership of 186 to take the home side within 12 runs of making their hosts bat again.

But by the time they were parted, Ian Salisbury having Straudd caught at leg slip for 95, the weather had already done the job for them, a sixth draw in seven matches maintaining their unbeaten record.

Seven overs later, Koenig missed out on the chance of a first Championship century of the season, caught 11 short, at first slip off Adam Hollioake.

Owais Shah and Ben Hutton played out the next six overs as the match fizzled out into a stalemate.

But there was action still as frustrated Surrey captain Hollioake was ordered not to bowl by umpire Graham Burgess for persistently bowling bouncers, meaning Ian Ward had to finish his over.

The defending champions are now just six points clear at the top of the table, ahead of Sussex, who beat Warwickshire with a day to spare.

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Middlesex: A J Strauss (Capt), S G Koenig, O A Shah, B L Hutton, E C Joyce, Abdul Razzaq, P N Weekes, D C Nash (Wkt), S J Cook, A A Noffke, C B Keegan.

Surrey: A J Hollioake(Capt), I J Ward , M A Butcher, M R Ramprakash, G P Thorpe, A J Stewart (Wkt), , M P Bicknell, A J Tudor, I D K Salisbury, Saqlain Mushtaq, J Ormond.