Rain blunts Surrey charge

County Championship D1, The Oval: Leicestershire 200 & 185-8 drew with Surrey 560-8 dec
Points: Surrey 12, Leics 7

Match scorecard

Surrey reclaimed top spot in the County Championship but rain prevented them taking the two Leicestershire wickets needed to complete an innings victory at The Oval.

Saqlain Mushtaq's five-wicket haul on the final day went for nought as the visitors secured a fortuitous draw.

When bad weather interfered again, at 1610BST on the final day, they were 185-8 - still 176 short of making the defending champions bat again.

But Surrey can be consoled with 12 points from the fixture, taking them two points ahead of Warwickshire in the Division One table.

Defending a first innings lead of 360, following centuries from Mark Ramprakash and Ian Salisbury, Surrey allowed Virender Sehwag and Darren Maddy to extend their third-wicket partnership to 101 before Saqlain struck.

Sehwag put a poor start in one-day cricket with Leicestershire behind him in reaching 81 on his Championship debut as the Foxes progressed from an overnight 32-2.

Pakistan spinner Saqlain had the India opener lbw after an 84-ball innings.

Maddy and Brad Hodge shared a stand of 61 before Surrey's dual spin attack put the cat amongst the pigeons, Saqlain claiming four wickets in 39 balls.

Saqlain bowled Maddy for 40, Salisbury had Darren Stevens lbw next over and Paul Nixon was caught at bat-pad shortly afterwards.

Phil DeFreitas lasted just 14 minutes without scoring before he was eighth wicket down, following Hodge into the pavilion after the Australian was caught at short leg off Saqlain for 47.

But new batsman Charlie Dagnall did not have time to reach the crease before the rain came in to end the proceedings and thwart Surrey's hopes.

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Surrey: M A Butcher, I J Ward, M R Ramprakash, A J Stewart (Wkt), A D Brown, A J Hollioake (Capt), R Clarke, Azhar Mahmood, M P Bicknell, Saqlain Mushtaq, I D K Salisbury.

Leicestershire: T R Ward, V Sehwag, D L Maddy, B J Hodge, D I Stevens, P A Nixon (Wkt), J N Snape, P A J DeFreitas (Capt), D D Masters, D S Brignull, D E Malcolm.