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Lyth's double century enlivens final day

Surrey 267 (S Curran 59*, Davies 56, Finch 52) and 106 for 1 (Sibley 54*) drew Yorkshire 407 (Lyth 202, Gale 61, Patterson 51)
Scorecard

Adam Lyth's double hundred was the main feature of the final day at The Oval as, after the loss of 142 overs to inclement weather in the opening two days, the players of Surrey and Yorkshire bowed to the inevitable at 5pm and shook hands on a rain-ruined draw.

What started as a keenly anticipated Specsavers County Championship clash petered out tamely with part-time spinners enjoying a twirl in the hallowed surrounds of the The Oval where Surrey reached 106 for 1, 38 overs into their second innings - to still trail by 34 runs when stumps were drawn.

The relegation threatened hosts banked 10 points for their fourth draw of the campaign, while Yorkshire, who move up to fourth on the table, took home 13 points after dominating much of the play that was possible over four bleak days in SE11.

Having batted on well into the mid-session, the visitors left themselves a minimum of 52 overs to pull off an unlikely win but, despite ringing the bat with close fielders, they could only pick up the wicket of Rory Burns.

Off balance and working to leg against the first delivery from spinner Azeem Rafiq, Burns chipped back a return catch to go for 14. It proved Yorkshire's only success of a dull afternoon that had started in confusion when a new umpire appeared out in the middle. It emerged that Neil Bainton had been taken ill during the interval break and had been replaced at the start of Surrey's second innings by Tony Pigott, the ECB's appointed cricket liaison officer for the fixture.

The day began with all eyes on Lyth, who seemingly had his sights set on improving his career-best 251scored in the 2014 Roses match at Old Trafford. He lost his first partner of the day after 75 minutes' play when Zafar Ansari bowled Steven Patterson to end a fourth wicket-stand with Lyth that added 91 inside 26 overs.

Lyth carried on where he had left off on day three, posting his 150 off 233 balls and with 15 fours and a brace of sixes but Patterson, who had just reached an 87-ball 50 with seven fours, had his timbers rearranged by Ansari with Yorkshire 20 ahead on first innings.

Adil Rashid might have departed with his score on 2 when he skied to long-on only to see Jason Roy down a steepling catch off Ansari. The blunder hardly mattered, however, as Ansari got his man caught at slip to make it 324 for 5, which brought Tim Bresnan to the crease. He lasted 11 deliveries before missing an attempted slog-sweep against Gareth Batty to depart lbw for 3.

Liam Plunkett joined forces with Lyth to up the run-rate either side of lunch with Plunkett plundering three fours and two sixes in his cameo 37 that ended with a run out. Having clattered the ball to deep cover, Plunkett called for a chancy second run only to be beaten home by the throw to the striker's end.

Lyth marched on to his double hundred, reaching the landmark with an uppercut for six that cleared the ropes at third man off a Stuart Meaker bouncer. It was Lyth's fifth six, to go with 17 boundaries in his 291-ball innings.

Meaker got his man next ball up, however, when Lyth, in aiming to clear the ropes again, skied to proffer a simple catch to Steven Davies, keeping wicket in place of the injured Ben Foakes.

Though they had 400 on the board for maximum bonus points, Yorkshire batted on allowing Tom Curran to pick up the wicket of Andrew Hodd following a stunning diving catch in the covers by Rory Burns. David Willey then holed out to deep midwicket to end the innings.