Burns hits 227 as Surrey take command over Lancs

Rory Burns' previous career-best score was 219 not out for Surrey against Hampshire in 2017

Vitality County Championship, Division One, Kia Oval (day two)

Lancashire 204: Hurst 46, Balderson 33, Flintoff 32; Clark 4-57, Worrall 3-31 & 4-0

Surrey 444-9 dec: Burns 227, Foakes 82; Aspinwall 3-88, Balderson 3-105

Lancashire (2 pts) trail Surrey (7 pts) by 236 runs with all 10 second-innings wickets remaining

Match scorecard

England's discarded opener Rory Burns hit a career-best 227 at The Oval as county champions Surrey built a potentially match-winning lead over Lancashire.

Surrey captain Burns was well supported by Ben Foakes, who hit a fine 82 in a stand of 197 for the fourth wicket, as the Division One leaders, seeking a third straight Championship title, declared on 444-9.

In the five balls possible before bad light ruled out the last scheduled 7.1 overs of the day, Lancashire then reached 4-0 in their second innings.

Burns' 26th first-class hundred was his second of the season and his highest score since making an unbeaten 219 against Hampshire at The Oval in 2017.

He faced 348 balls and hit a six and 29 fours, but fellow England men Dom Sibley (39), Will Jacks (31) and Sam Curran (eight) all missed out on making significant scores in warm sunshine.

India white-ball international Sai Sudharsan made only six after coming in at 377-5 but he at least managed to see Burns through to his double-century before edging Tom Aspinwall to second slip.

However, Jordan Clark made 25 not out against his old county, helping Burns to add a useful 50 for the seventh wicket before Burns skied Balderson and keeper Matty Hurst sprinted 30 yards to take a good tumbling catch.

Both Tom Lawes and Conor McKerr then came and went without scoring, both falling to left-arm spinner Tom Hartley, to spark Surrey's declaration.

It was, overall, a chastening experience for a young Lancashire team containing seven homegrown players including Rocky Flintoff, with an average age of 25.

Surrey moved remorselessly into a position from which to force a seventh Championship win of the season, while Lancashire could be in the bottom two after this game - if they lose and Midlands pair Warwickshire and Worcestershire both win.

Report supplied by the ECB Reporters Network