A file partnership between Jamie Smith and Dan Lawrence noticed Surrey safely to a draw after Warwickshire had dominated a lot of their County Championship fixture at Edgbaston.
Smith struck a elegant 132 from 261 balls and Lawrence an equally assured unbeaten 161 off 258 in a stand of 217 in 64 overs as Surrey batted by the ultimate day to succeed in 447-4.
The implacable fourth-wicket pair took full benefit of a pitch that simply obtained higher and higher for batting.
There was little that Ed Barnard, in his first match as Warwickshire captain, may do however rotate his array of seamers within the hope of inducing errors.
It proved a forlorn hope as Surrey erased their first-innings deficit of 216 after which batted on to safe a draw with which they are going to be very joyful, having been in disarray at 65-6 on the primary afternoon.
Surrey resumed on the ultimate morning on 169-3, nonetheless 47 behind, manner behind within the sport however in situations which provided them a manner out of bother in the event that they batted with the required diligence.
They did so, as Smith and Lawrence knuckled down so as to add 105 from 31 overs within the morning session.
Warwickshire’s seamers persevered nobly, with Ethan Bamber and Beau Webster most threatening, however the fourth-wicket pair batted with stable method and whole focus.
The session yielded simply two half-chances, each provided by Smith. On 60 he edged Chris Woakes excessive previous the shoulder of Sam Hain at slip and on 76, he drove Jordan Thompson to additional cowl the place Webster obtained a hand to a tough probability however could not maintain on.
The batters superior relentlessly to their centuries within the afternoon, Smith’s arriving from 199 balls and Lawrence’s from 152, earlier than turning into the third and fourth members of the crew to place their names within the file books throughout this match.
In the primary innings, Ben Foakes and Tom Lawes broke a 120-year-old file for Surrey’s seventh wicket in opposition to Warwickshire.
Three days later, Smith and Larwence matched the achievement, their 217 partnership surpassing the county’s earlier fourth-wicket greatest in opposition to the Bears – 213 by Tom Hayward and Edwin Goatley at The Oval in 1906.
The alliance when Smith lifted Rob Yates to lengthy on. His job was carried out, although, and all that remained was a ultimate session of Lawrence and Ben Foakes (36*) having fun with a mild out of doors internet in opposition to the spin of Yates and Dan Mousley.
It was a low-key finish to a match which contained some wonderful, aggressive cricket and from which each side will take loads of constructive.
Surrey, having copped the worst of the situations early within the match, confirmed the fortitude and ability to not lose it. Warwickshire, their prime order all exhibiting promising early-season type, have been nicely on prime in opposition to sturdy opposition for a lot of the sport.
Report by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.
