Surrey face follow-on prospect against Bears

Ben Foakes has passed 50 for Surrey four times this season

Rothesay County Championship Division One, Edgbaston (day three)

Warwickshire 665-5 dec: Latham 184, Barnard 177*, Malik 105*; Lawes 2-107

Surrey 369-9: Foakes 85*, Sibley 64, Steel 55; Webster 2-69

Surrey (3 pts) trail Warwickshire (5 pts) by 296 runs with one wicket standing

Match scorecard

County champions Surrey face a last-day rearguard action after their heavily-depleted batting line up faltered on the third afternoon of their County Championship Division One match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

In reply to the home side's 665-5, Surrey closed the third day on 369-9, still 296 short of the follow on figure.

Ben Foakes is unbeaten on 85, Dominic Sibley struck 64 and Cameron Steel 55, but while five of the top seven passed 50, none has yet emulated the three Warwickshire batters who passed three figures.

The Bears' bowlers were rewarded for collective persistence after off-spinner Rob Yates jolted an apparent stalemate into life with a three-wicket burst.

On a pitch which has yielded 14 wickets in three days, it's a big ask for Warwickshire to find 11 on the fourth, but their big-hearted bowling display has kept the game alive.

Surrey resumed on the third morning on 98-1 and lost just one wicket in the morning session when Ryan Patel played away from his body at Beau Webster and edged to wicketkeeper Alex Davies.

Lunchtime arrived with three wickets having fallen in the previous four sessions, but early in the afternoon session the portrait of batting heaven was shattered as, out of nowhere, Yates took three in six overs,

Sibley, having hit seven fours in 268 minutes, departed in disbelief at his own recklessness after he was lured into a drive and sliced to backward point.

Dan Lawrence then nicked an attempted cut and Jason Roy, playing his first Championship game since 2018, ladled his ninth ball to mid-wicket.

Suddenly Surrey were 217-5 – still 299 short of the follow on figure,

Yates' mesmeric spell was ended by Warwickshire's decision to take the new ball against which Foakes and Steel dug in to add 113 in 33 overs but another mini-collapse followed as three wickets fell for one run in 28 balls.

Steel, having just smote Ed Barnard for six to post his half-century, had his leg bail clipped by Olly Hannon-Dalby.

Che Simmons then struck twice – both genuine fast-bowler's dismissals. Jordan Clark tried to leave a ball but was surprised by bounce and gloved it to the keeper. Nathan Smith guided another rising delivery to leg slip.

Tom Lawes inside-edged Webster to the keeper but Foakes stayed strong to the close and Surrey will look to the England player to hoover up some more time on the final day.

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Warwickshire coach Ian Westwood:

"I am really proud of the guys. As a unit, they kept on going and showed a lot of heart and also a lot of skill.

"It's the sort of pitch where bowlers have to work hard with a lot of discipline and the guys kept on doing that right to the end and got their rewards.

"It was a really good collective effort and to see Che come in and bowl the way he did late in the day was great to see. It was an amazing spell for eight overs with some real pace and bounce and just showed how exciting a bowler he can be.

"We have played some very good cricket in this game. It is still a good batting wicket but we have given ourselves a chance of winning the match on the last day and that's all you can ask."

Surrey batter Dom Sibley:

"We would have liked to be going into the final day with a few less wickets down but Foakesy did brilliantly there at the end and hopefully we can bat the day out tomorrow.

"Credit to Warwickshire, they have bowled really well on a surface which is still good for batting.

"I felt good out there. I found it difficult to score at times, they bowled well and when the ball went really soft it was hard to pierce the field but this sort of situation is just about grinding it out.

"I was obviously disappointed to get out the way I did but I'm confident we can get the job done tomorrow."