County Championship: Abbott and Worrall enjoy last-wicket Surrey stand of 130 as Lancs suffer

Sean Abbott and Dan Worrall both hit half-centuries in their 130-run last-wicket stand against Lancashire

Surrey last-wicket pair Sean Abbott and Dan Worrall shared an amazing 130-run stand to turn the game against Lancashire on its head at The Oval.

After reducing the Division One leaders to 230-9, despite excellent half-centuries from Will Jacks and Sam Curran, still 44 behind their first-innings total of 274, Lancashire could not land the final blow.

Instead, Abbott and Worrall produced 84 minutes of mayhem as they carved the Kookaburra ball all over The Oval.

Abbott plundered five sixes and four fours in his 87 from 104 balls - and was only 13 short of a second first-class century when their stand at last came to an end.

It took a misjudged run to finally separate them - as Worrall, just after he had gone to only his second career half-century, was run out by Josh Bohannon for 51.

After resuming earlier on 70-4, Surrey lost a fifth wicket when the previous evening's hero Jack Blatherwick struck again to get rid of Jamie Smith, who holed out to a mistimed pull.

Jacks and Curran then took control, both hitting half-centuries in a 103-run stand in just 16 overs - but the introduction of the gentler medium pace of New Zealand Test batter Daryl Mitchell had a bizarre effect.

Jacks and Lancashire old boy Jordan Clark promptly slapped identical shots straight to Dane Vilas at short mid-wicket from successive balls.

After the loss of Jacks for 64, Curran then departed for 52 two overs later, well caught at mid-on by Will Williams, who then trapped Tom Lawes lbw just three overs later.

That brought Abbott and Worrall together and they chanced their arm - and, for the next 22 overs, the Lancashire bowlers all suffered as they turned that 44-run deficit into an unforeseen 86-run lead.

Second time around, Curran struck first when Keaton Jennings edged to second slip before Luke Wells (30) and Josh Bohannon (33) added 59 for the second wicket.

But both departed in the space of six balls when Bohannon mistimed a hook at a Worrall bouncer and Ben Foakes sprinted forward to take the catch after a full-length dive.

Wells then cut hard at Abbott in the next over and Latham clung on instinctively in front of his face at gully and, just before the close, Vilas was pinned by Clark, but Mitchell (19) and nightwatchman Williams saw them through on 113-4, with a slender 27-run lead.

The stand between the two Aussies looks like being the key factor in this game as reigning champions Surrey home in on a seventh straight Championship win at The Oval.