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

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.

Surrey move closer to County Championship title

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.

Sussex clinched promotion from Division Two 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.

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