County Championship: Ollie Pope hits 65 as Surrey edge lead over Warwickshire

Surrey's England bat Ollie Pope hit the 32nd half-century of his first-class career

Ollie Pope's sparkling 65 and a determined ninth wicket stand of 72 between Conor McKerr and Jamie Overton, edged Surrey ahead of Warwickshire on day two at The Oval.

Pope, who faced only 73 balls and hit two sixes and nine fours, scored the only half-century of the match so far.

McKerr and Overton's heroics then enabled Surrey to reply with 316 to Warwickshire's 253, who closed on 1 without loss in their second innings to reduce heir overall deficit to 62.

Day two began with Warwickshire, on 240 for 8 overnight, losing their last two wickets for the addition of only 13 runs.

Nathan McAndrew, who resumed on 40, at least made sure of a third batting bonus point before he sparred at a ball from Kemar Roach, berating himself for edging a catch to Pope at second slip.

Tom Lawes, replacing Roach, then struck with his fourth ball to bowl Liam Norwell with a perfect inswinger that plucked out middle stump to earn figures of 3 for 38 from 20.4 overs for the teenager.

In contrast to Warwickshire's first innings, Surrey's reply was always more aggressive in intent with Ryan Patel setting the tone almost immediately by taking three successive fours off the returning Norwell's opening over before his attempt to hit a near long hop through square cover was undone when he toe-ended a catch to McAndrew at cover.

When Hashim Amla was LBW to the probing Olive Hannon-Dalby, Surrey were in early bother at 25 for 2. But Pope came in to help counter-attack with Burns, who was then adjudged LBW to McAndrew for 27.

Hannon-Dalby then found an off-cutter pinned Foakes plumb for a well-made 31, but Pope added 46 in eight overs with Jacks, who then put on another 39 with Jordan Clark, who was bowled by McAndrew for 28 with an excellent ball that removed his off stump.

The tail then added another 73 thanks largely to McKerr, with a career-best 37, and Overton (38).

That left two overs left for Warwickshire to face tonight - and Danny Briggs came out as nightwatchman.

He survived the first of them from Kemar Roach, then, in the second over from Jordan Clark, in trying to get Dom Sibley off strike, the England opener was almost run out in a right mix-up by a direct hit from Jamie Overton which just missed. But Sibley, the Surrey old boy who is due to return to The Oval from the Bears at the end of the season, survived.

Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network.

Surrey top scorer Ollie Pope told BBC Radio London:

"Ollie Hannon-Dalby is excellent at nipping the ball back into your pads so I tried to revert the pressure on him a bit.

"We managed to chip away at them and keep the board moving then the partnership at the end of our innings by Conor McKerr and Jamie Overton was crucial for us.

"They both played it perfectly. Conor has worked very hard on his batting and worked out a method that suits him while Jamie played very bravely with his sore finger."

Warwickshire fast bowler Liam Norwell told BBC Radio WM:

"We are definitely in the game. That partnership between McKerr and Overton frustrated us, but now we just have to bat well.

"There is another heavy roller available before play starts on the morning. That will help us.

"Hopefully we can knock off the deficit with only one or two wickets down, at the most."