County Championship: Haseeb Hameed earns Lancashire draw

Hameed has represented England at Under-15, 17 and 19 level

Teenager Haseeb Hameed compiled an assured 91 to earn Lancashire a draw with leaders Surrey at Old Trafford.

The 18-year-old from Bolton, playing his third match, batted for 326 minutes for his highest first-class score.

Surrey took three wickets before lunch, including South African Ashwell Prince in his final home game before retiring.

Lancashire were 195-7 when bad light ended play, and the title will be decided in next week's matches, with Surrey starting eight points ahead.

Sam Curran (left) and his brother Tom almost inspired a Surrey victory

Surrey made an encouraging start in their quest to wrap up the Division Two crown, seamer Tom Curran trapping Karl Brown lbw in the second over.

Matt Dunn dismissed Alviro Petersen in his opening over, then had Prince caught at second slip, the left-hander leaving the field to a warm ovation from the appreciative Lancashire members.

Hameed calmly reached his maiden first-class fifty from 149 balls, but was reprieved on 76 when Steven Davies spilled a catch off the bowling of Tom Curran.

Surrey took the new ball with 12 overs left and with the second delivery, Hameed's 234-ball vigil ended when he was the seventh wicket to fall, caught at leg slip by Sam Curran off his elder brother, but the darkening skies denied them the chance to press for victory.

In next week's final round, Surrey, who face Gloucestershire in Saturday's One-Day Cup final at Lord's, host Northants and Lancashire travel to Essex.

Lancashire boss Ashley Giles told BBC Sport:

"I am delighted that for two games in a row now we have shown a lot of fight. But, it is disappointing we are in that position again.

"I really didn't think we were at the races in this game. We have to be careful we aren't just falling over the line here. Surrey are quite clearly in pole position going into the last round, but we are still in it.

"We've won the T20, we've won promotion but we can't relax and slap ourselves on the back and say 'Aren't we brilliant?'

"Every match we play, the players have to be up for it. The best teams win things, and drive on to win the next thing."

Surrey captain Gareth Batty told BBC London 94.9:

"We played a pretty good game of cricket. To get almost 800 runs in the game is a feat in itself, especially against a quality attack.

"The two teams getting promoted are the right two - they've played the proper cricket and the right cricket.

"If you look at the season as a whole it wouldn't be fair on either team to lose to the opposition.

"We feel we've played most of the cricket in this game, but to get over the line next week would be a big thing."

Ashwell Prince acknowledges the Lancashire crowd after his final innings at Old Trafford