Cricket Dec 07, 2025

County Championship: Surrey beat Durham to move closer to title as Kent relegated after loss to Nottinghamshire

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
County Championship: Surrey beat Durham to move closer to title as Kent relegated after loss to Nottinghamshire

Surrey are closing in on a third successive Vitality County Championship title after cruising to a 10-wicket win over Durham with a day to spare at the Kia Oval.

Durham, who began the third day trailing by 152, never recovered after losing two wickets in the first over to Dan Worrall.

Worrall and Sam Curran, in only his second Championship appearance of the season, each took four wickets as Durham were dismissed for 177 in their second innings with only Emilio Gay (48) offering prolonged resistance.

That left Surrey needing just 25 to complete their eighth win of the campaign and skipper Rory Burns and Dom Sibley knocked off the target in five overs. It was their sixth victory at the Kia Oval this season with only Somerset, who drew in April, denying them a clean sweep on home turf.

The tempo was set in the first over when Worrall made a double breakthrough. Dan Hogg lost his leg stump and Ben McKinney was beaten by a fine delivery, while Durham had lost three wickets in the first half hour when Jordan Clark bowled Alex Lees.

David Bedingham only got half-forward to Curran's sixth ball and was lbw and Ollie Robinson was also beaten by late inswing, losing his off stump to leave Durham's innings in disarray at 74-6.

Gay, making his Durham debut ahead of his permanent move from Northamptonshire this winter, shaped up well and added 46 with Bas De Leede either side of lunch to give Durham hope. Worrall returned at the pavilion end to remove Gay before another Curran inswinger accounted for De Leede.

Tom Lawes produced a fine delivery to force James Minto to edge to keeper Ben Foakes, with Curran finished things off with another booming delivery that was way too good for Chemar Holder ahead of Surrey easing to their tiny target.

Somerset were left needing to beat relegation-battlers Lancashire to keep their slim title hopes alive, and finished the third day at Old Trafford still 189 runs short of victory.

Set 393 to win, Archie Vaughan made 68, his maiden first-class half-century, and Tom Lammonby 49 in a fine second-wicket partnership as George Balderson and Luke Wells took two wickets each to leave Somerset 204-6 at stumps.

Wicketkeeper-batter James Rew was unbeaten on 24 as Somerset look to press on again in the morning and take the title race down to the final game.

Surrey picked up 23 points which took them onto 221, 31 clear of Somerset with their match at Old Trafford still in the balance. Surrey face Essex at Chelmsford in the final round, with Somerset hosting Hampshire.

Elsewhere, Kent had their relegation to Division Two confirmed after they were beaten by 10 wickets at home to Nottinghamshire. The hosts were bowled out for 230 in their second innings to leave Nottinghamshire requiring just 23 for victory, which they managed inside 21 deliveries.

of the Vitality County Championship with a game to spare after quickly wrapping up an innings victory over Gloucestershire at Bristol.

Gloucestershire were skittled for 195 as Sussex needed less than a session of the third day to finish off their hosts. Left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat claimed 3-39 and match figures of 7-71, while Henry Crocombe took 4-22 as Sussex sealed victory by an innings and seven runs.

SportNews+ has officially launched and will be integrated into , streaming service and the , giving SportNews customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost.

Tags:

cricket news id:13217866

Share this article

Related Posts

The Ashes: Jacob Bethell or Ollie Pope - should England make a change at No 3 for third Test in Adelaide?

The Ashes: Jacob Bethell or Ollie Pope - should England make a change at No 3 for third Test in Adelaide?

England's second eight-wicket hammering to Australia in as many Tests, leaving them trailing 2-0 in the Ashes, has prompted calls for change.Not just...

The Ashes 2025/26: England on brink of doom in series and it is almost entirely their own fault

The Ashes 2025/26: England on brink of doom in series and it is almost entirely their own fault

We've been here before…England 2-0 down in an away series and fans fearing Australia legend Glenn McGrath's unwavering prediction of a 5-0 whitewash.T...

The Ashes 2025/26: England to take mid-series break to Noosa ahead of must-win third Test in Adelaide

The Ashes 2025/26: England to take mid-series break to Noosa ahead of must-win third Test in Adelaide

England will have only three days of practice before their must-win third Ashes Test against Australia next week in Adelaide.Hopes of a first England...

Ashes hopeful Jacob Bethell hits 71 and Asa Tribe a century but England Lions thumped by Australia A in Brisbane

Ashes hopeful Jacob Bethell hits 71 and Asa Tribe a century but England Lions thumped by Australia A in Brisbane

Jacob Bethell's 71 was one of the few highlights for the Lions as England's second-string suffered a thumping innings defeat to Australia A in the uno...

The Ashes: Stuart Broad frustrated by dire England bowling and wants more from 'generational' batter Harry Brook

The Ashes: Stuart Broad frustrated by dire England bowling and wants more from 'generational' batter Harry Brook

Stuart Broad was critical of England's "worst" bowling display for a number of years and wants more from "generational talent" Harry Brook with the ba...

The Ashes: Ben Stokes showed England batting template and that he is still up for the fight, says Michael Atherton

The Ashes: Ben Stokes showed England batting template and that he is still up for the fight, says Michael Atherton

After England's two-day pummelling in Perth was followed by a four-day drubbing in Brisbane - where they have still not won a Test since 1986 - Michae...