Surrey managed just the wicket of Lancashire opener Luke Wells on a day of frustration at the Kia Oval in which only 10.2 overs were possible due to bad weather
Wells was bowled by Jordan Clark for four, the ball keeping low to pluck out his off stump as the left-hander was also caught on the crease, as Lancashire moved from an overnight four without loss in their second innings to 26 for one.
That left them still 214 runs behind Surrey and needing to bat out the final day to escape with a draw, but at least the truncated third day has given Lancashire a chance of denying the Division One leaders a seventh Vitality County Championship victory of the season as they chase a third successive title.
No play was possible until 5.10pm because of heavy morning rain and then persistent afternoon drizzle which snuffed out two earlier attempts to resume the game.
Clark, coming around the wicket, dismissed Wells in the third full over but Surrey’s hopes of bowling the 22.1 scheduled overs were crushed when heavy rain clouds again appeared over central London, behind the JM Finn Stand, accompanied by flashes of lightning.
Umpires David Millns and Rob White also took a light meter reading before taking the players off with 11.5 overs still remaining, and soon the Oval groundstaff were bringing on the covers again to protect the pitch and square from more rain.
Keaton Jennings, the Lancashire captain, and Josh Bohannon will both start the final day on nine not out and Surrey know they cannot afford to let their partnership flourish if they are to win a game they have dominated since bowling their visitors out for a sub-par 204 on day one and then replying with 444 for nine declared, in which skipper Rory Burns scoring a magnificent career-best 227.
Jennings was beaten several times by Dan Worrall’s movement in the air and off the pitch, although he did once drive him handsomely through extra cover for four, while Bohannon took a legside boundary off Sam Curran’s first delivery shortly before the players were forced off.
