An outstanding innings of 83 not out from Zafar Ansari guided Surrey to a draw on the final day at Edgbaston. Ansari batted the whole day and shared an unbroken partnership of 89 with Jason Roy (42*) as Surrey finished on 202-3.
Play did not get underway until 11.45 due to a heavy shower on the morning. Surrey resumed on their overnight 38-0 with Rory Burns and Ansari at the crease. Both started confidently moving the score past fifty with no great alarms.
Burns once again looked comfortable and Ansari was resolute as they guided Surrey through the opening 45 minutes of play. Burns had moved onto 42 when Boyd Rankin was introduced into the attack and his extra height saw Burns play onto his stumps pushing forward to leave Surrey 74-1.
Ansari was joined by Arun Harinath and together they guided Surrey to lunch with the scoreboard reading 83-1 and Ansari 27*. But in the second over after the break Harinath went without scoring when he was caught behind off Jetan Patel.
The rain made another appearance at 14:00 and forced the players back into the pavilion for half an hour. Zander de Bruyn and Ansari came together and they blunted the Warwickshire attack. They used their left and right handed combination sensibly moving Surrey past 100 and frustrating the Warwickshire bowlers.
Ansari was showing great technique and judgement of which deliveries to play and which to leave alone and he was playing the off spin of Patel particularly well. But Surrey lost De Bruyn on 14 when he swept a Patel full toss straight to Keith Barker on the square leg boundary.
Ansari though continued to hold the innings together and he moved to his maiden championship fifty when he worked Rikki Clarke to the fine leg boundary. Ansari had been batting for over three hours and had faced 169 deliveries and with the support of Jason Roy he guided Surrey to tea with the scoreboard reading 140-3.
After the break the Surrey pair continued to eat up the overs and time in the game. Roy curbed his natural attacking instincts and played with real discipline and Ansari continued to impress with his powers of concentration.
The Surrey pair moved their partnership past fifty and continued to blunt the Warwickshire attack. The game moved into the final hour and the home side took the new ball but could not break the defences of Ansari and Roy.
And after Ansari had cut Patel to the cover boundary the players shook hands and Surrey had secured the draw. Surrey finished on 202-3 with Ansari playing an outstanding innings of maturity and Roy showing great powers of concentration. Ansari had faced 257 deliveries finishing and his 83* was his best in First Class cricket at a crucial time.
Surrey will now turn their attention back to the Clydesdale Bank 40 and their crucial Group B game against the Nottinghamshire Outlaws at Trent Bridge on Wednesday.
Mark Church spoke to Zafar Ansari after his innings against Warwickshire. Watch the video below to hear his thoughts
Ansari satisfied with best effort from Surrey Cricket on Vimeo.
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