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Amar Virdi, Gus Atkinson join forces to help set Northamptonshire daunting target

Amar Virdi is among the young English spinners thriving in the Bob Willis Trophy Getty Images

Northamptonshire 171 and 106 for 2 (Keogh 46*, Gay 44*) need 214 runs vs Surrey 252 and 238 (Jacks 50, Virdi 47, Atkinson 41*, Kerrigan 4-36)

Surrey's Amar Virdi and Gus Atkinson made career-best scores in an enterprising last-wicket stand worth 83 in 36 overs to help set Northamptonshire a daunting 320 to win in their Championship clash at Wantage Road.

The pair safely negotiated the extra half hour with Surrey nine wickets down before lunch and emerged after the interval keen to play their shots against the new ball. Virdi, belying his tailender status and an average of seven, struck seven boundaries in his 47, including clubbing Rob Keogh confidently over long-on.

Surrey's bowlers then made early inroads, taking two early wickets, but an unbeaten stand of 69 by Emilio Gay and Keogh kept the hosts in the hunt at 106 for 2 at stumps. They came together after Will Jacks had registered his second half-century of the match amid a clutter of wickets.

Spinner Simon Kerrigan claimed three scalps in a marathon spell. Bowling throughout the extended morning session, Kerrigan made an immediate breakthrough in the second over of the morning, taking the key wicket of Hashim Amla, who pushed forward to a turning ball and was caught behind by Adam Rossington for 26.

Seamers Ben Sanderson and Tom Taylor then accounted for Jordan Clark and Rikki Clarke cheaply as Surrey lost three wickets for just 23 runs inside 12 overs.

Jacks though moved to 50, mixing stylish boundaries with solid defence, before Kerrigan struck in successive balls. First, he deceived Jacks in the flight and hit the stumps. Then he bowled Reece Topley through the gate before Virdi safely negotiated the hat-trick ball.

Atkinson lived dangerously with a couple of streaky boundaries through the slip cordon as well as taking a blow on the helmet which flew away for four leg byes. After lunch though he began to find the middle of the bat against the new ball and he and Virdi found runs easy to come by, frustrating Northamptonshire's hopes of keeping the run chase to a minimum.

Surrey's seamers built early pressure and Northamptonshire's hopes were dealt two early blows when first Ricardo Vasconcelos nicked a Clarke delivery behind before Jordan Clark trapped Harry Gouldstone lbw to leave Northamptonshire 37 for 2.

Gay looked increasingly assured after playing an early crunching backfoot punch for four through backward point. He was soon overtaken by Keogh who got off the mark with back-to-back boundaries down to third man off Clark and then punched through extra cover for four more as scoring became easier.

Flags around the ground were flown at half-mast to mark the death of former Northamptonshire player and past President Peter Arnold at the age of 94.

Northants 4th innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st24R VasconcelosEN Gay
2nd13EN GayHOM Gouldstone
3rd85RI KeoghEN Gay
4th83LA ProcterRI Keogh
5th66LA ProcterAM Rossington
6th0AM RossingtonSA Zaib
7th16TAI TaylorSA Zaib
8th31TAI TaylorJJG Sales
9th4SC KerriganJJG Sales

County Championship

Division 1
TeamMWLDPT
NOTTS431068
LANCS421157
WARKS421156
HANTS421153
YORKS412140
SOM404014
Division 2
TeamMWLDPT
ESSEX430177
GLOUC431064
DURH311140
NHNTS412138
SUR301227
GLAM403123
Division 3
TeamMWLDPT
KENT440083
MIDDX431067
WORCS422049
LEICS412143
DERBS412142
SUSS404018
Group 1
TeamMWLDPT
NOTTS10424151
WARKS10415145
DURH10325132
ESSEX10325129
WORCS10136109
DERBS1005572
Group 2
TeamMWLDPT
SOM10415148
HANTS10424145
GLOUC10532131
SUR10226123
LEICS10244111
MIDDX1027184
Group 3
TeamMWLDPT
LANCS10415150
YORKS10514149
GLAM10226127
NHNTS10334123
KENT1003797
SUSS1015494