County Championship: Rory Burns hits century for Surrey against Yorkshire

Rory Burns' century was his third in the County Championship this season

England Test wicketkeeper Ben Foakes hit a superb unbeaten 86, expertly backing up Rory Burns' century, as County Championship leaders Surrey engineered an outside victory chance against Yorkshire at Scarborough.

Surrey, replying to a first-innings 521, ensured only a six-run deficit with 20 overs remaining on day three before Yorkshire's second innings reached the close at 65 for two, after two late Jamie Overton wickets.

In Foakes' first game since pulling out midway through last month's Headingley Test against New Zealand with Covid-19, he contributed 12 fours and a top-edged six in 156 balls to lift his side to 515.

That also included 132 for captain Burns - 94 overnight - while off-spinner Dom Bess claimed 5-126 for Yorkshire.

If Surrey can have a dream fourth morning with the ball, they could be contemplating a fifth win in nine games.

Foakes' deft touch and strong leg-side play from mid-morning onwards first of all helped avoid the follow-on by reaching 372 and then almost secured parity.

• Relive the third day's play in the County Championship

Surrey started the day on 191-1 and lost two wickets in the morning and two shortly after lunch to open the door for Yorkshire with their visitors at 303-5.

A game which has seen bowlers struggle to find the right length on a pitch offering good bounce sprung to life.

In the day's 15th over, Jordan Thompson had a driving Hashim Amla caught at second slip for 79, leaving Surrey at 243-2 and ending a second-wicket partnership of 141 with Burns.

Jamie Smith edged Bess behind for 11 not too long afterwards, but prior to that Burns had reached three figures off 181 balls.

Aside from being caught in the slips off a Shannon Gabriel no-ball on day two on 72, Burns looked untroubled until bowled by a beauty from the West Indies quick.

Thompson struck again when Will Jacks dragged on, but Foakes and Australian all-rounder Aaron Hardie quickly snuffed out any danger of following on with a 75-run stand.

The former was watchful and the latter belligerent on his way to 46, taking 14 off a Steve Patterson over, including a pulled six.

However, in trying to loft the boundary which would have taken him to 50, Hardie was bowled by the same man in his next over.

Surrey's fifth batting point for reaching 400 inside 110 overs was brought up as Overton lofted former Somerset team-mate Bess over long-on for six in a breezy 32 before pulling Gabriel to deep square-leg after tea.

Bess removed Tom Lawes stumped and Conor McKerr caught behind in the same over before last man Dan Worrall launched his first ball over long-off for six against Bess.

Bess wrapped up the innings when the former advanced at him and was stumped for 26 by Jonny Tattersall, whose five victims included three stumpings and followed his first-innings 180.

George Hill, with 33 not out, was dropped on four before Overton struck twice in the penultimate over.

He had Adam Lyth, on 26, gloving a lifter behind and nightwatchman Bess lbw second ball.

Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network.