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Rob Keogh provides the ballast as Northants seal impressive 322-run chase

Rob Keogh thrashes a drive Getty Images

Northamptonshire 171 and 322 for 8 (Keogh 99, Procter 57, Gay 50, Clark 5-76) beat Surrey 252 and 238 (Jacks 50, Virdi 47, Atkinson 41*, Kerrigan 4-36) by two wickets

Northamptonshire's Rob Keogh hit 99 to lay the foundation for a thrilling two-wicket win against Surrey in this LV= Insurance County Championship clash at Wantage Road. It was the highest ever successful run chase for the hosts against Surrey in first-class cricket.

Keogh looked assured and untroubled until he fell agonisingly short of a well-deserved century shortly after lunch. Luke Procter, who hit a gutsy half-century, then combined with skipper Adam Rossington to bring the runs required down below 50.

The pair were parted when Surrey took the new ball however, and it was left to all-rounder Tom Taylor and debutant James Sales to hold their nerve and see Northamptonshire to the brink of victory. Taylor fell with two runs required before Sales hit the winning boundary.

A hostile Jordan Clark toiled hard on a flat surface taking five wickets to keep Surrey in the hunt but ultimately Northamptonshire were able to earn a famous victory.

Northamptonshire had needed another 214 at start of play while Surrey needed to take eight more wickets on a pitch that was becoming more docile.

Surrey's seamers kept things tight early on, although it was a delivery from Clark which pitched outside leg stump which accounted for Emilio Gay who was unfortunate to be adjudged lbw for 50.

Keogh though continued to play confidently both in attack and defence, driving and cutting with exemplary timing.

He shared an 83-run stand with Procter who played the junior partner role at first but began to free his arms against the spinners, sweeping Amar Virdi over square leg and dispatching Cameron Steel through midwicket for another boundary.

Clark struck soon after lunch when Keogh clipped Clark straight to deep square leg to leave Northamptonshire on 205 for 4 with 115 still required.

Scoring started to dry up with Steel creating problems with flight and turn. Rossington though looked to be aggressive, using his feet to drive Steel through mid-on for four before swotting him over midwicket for six.

Procter capitalised on the new ball by punching Topley through cover for four before upper cutting him for another boundary to move to a gutsy half-century from 152 balls. After a stand of 66 though, Procter and Rossington both fell to Topley and Clark respectively with the score on 271, with still 48 required with four wickets in hand.

Straight after tea Topley had Saif Zaib caught behind but Taylor and Sales absorbed the pressure and started to tick off the runs required. Sales swayed out of the way of a short ball from Clark which flew away for four leg byes before Taylor swotted Topley through midwicket for four and struck Clark for a huge six in the same direction to bring the target down into single figures.

David Ripley announced today that he will step down as Northamptonshire's Head Coach at the end of the season after ten years in the role. He will shift focus into a different coaching role within the club.

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