After a valiant effort from Surrey’s bowlers on day four, Lancashire were able to hold on for a draw in the LV= Insurance County Championship.
Josh Bohannon’s battling century ensured Lancashire escaped with a draw against Surrey despite the reigning county champions dominating the first three days of this hard-fought season opener.
Surrey had gone on into the fourth day hopeful of forcing victory by taking ten wickets after setting Lancashire a nominal target of 444 to win.
But after resuming on 37-0, the hosts dug in determinedly with the visitors only able to claim three wickets in reply to England hopeful Bohannon’s belligerent knock of 108 off 187 balls which helped see Lancashire bat out the day with something to spare to close on 247-3.
Lancashire started the final day where they let off with captain Keaton Jennings and fellow opener Luke Wells exuding confidence and calm at the crease as they safely negotiated the first hour of play and some accurate bowling from Surrey’s seamers.
Fresh from a brilliant century on the third day, England keeper Ben Foakes proved to be the catalyst for a Surrey breakthrough when his decision to stand up to the wicket to counter the aggressive wanderings of Jennings seemed to unnerve the skipper.
Cramped for room and momentarily hesitating, Jennings was undone when he played on to his stumps off a Jordan Clark delivery for 16 with Surrey delighted to halt the opening stand at 65.
At the other end, Wells had earlier raised hopes of a ‘Baz-ball’ style run chase when he clipped Dan Worrall off his legs for six, but he was soon following Jennings to the dressing room after pulling Kemar Roach straight to Worrall at fine leg for 45.
With Lancashire suddenly 65-2, Surrey should’ve had the encouragement they needed to push for victory with both Bohannon and Steven Croft new to the crease and all thoughts of a home win removed from the equation.
It was not to be. The third wicket pair steered Lancashire to lunch on 114-2 and then resumed after the break with the sort of steeliness and purpose that would slowly extinguish the champion’s hopes of forcing victory.
Bohannon, who started last season so well with a double century in the second game against Gloucestershire, was once again showing his likeness for batting in April as he began to hit some attractive shots.
Bolton-born Bohannon reached his half-century off 97 balls before the third wicket pair brought up their hundred partnership off 220 balls as the game began to slowly meander towards its conclusion.
Surrey skipper Rory Burns brought on Pope for his first ever bowl in first class cricket while Bohannon was in the 90s and moments later the batter was celebrating his 26th birthday in style with a powerful off drive for four to bring up his century.
The new ball brought a brief flurry of activity when Bohannon left a delivery from Worrall which clipped his off stump and dismissed him for 108 with the third wicket partnership ending on 173, but at 5pm the players shook hands leaving Croft unbeaten on 56 and Surrey with 12 points to Lancashire’s nine.
“Pretty impressive from the lads!” 💯
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) April 9, 2023
Captain Rory Burns talks to @backandacross about an encouraging 4 days in Lancashire, and looks ahead to the return to The Kia Oval against Hampshire on Thursday!#SurreyCricket 🤎 pic.twitter.com/0K0bpbaB6D
