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Burns leads Surrey fightback but Glamorgan still favourites

Rothesay County Championship, Division One, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (day three)

Glamorgan 358: Crane 106, Cooke 101, Ingram 80*; Atkinson 4-61

Surrey 105: Norton 5-50 & 398-9 (following on): Burns 115, Pope 73; Hadley 3-69

Glamorgan 6 pts, Surrey 2 pts

Glamorgan remain favourites to earn a first-ever Championship win over Surrey at Sophia Gardens despite a day of strong batting from the visitors, following on in their second innings.

Surrey go into the final day on 398-9, a lead of 145 runs, after productive batting all down the order.

Captain Rory Burns led from the front with a patient knock of 115, his best of the season, while Ollie Pope hit a classy 73.

Glamorgan's bowlers stuck to their task gamely on the longest day of the year as they chipped away at the wickets column in scorching temperatures, Ryan Hadley taking 3-69.

Before the start of day three, Surrey lost the services of England paceman Gus Atkinson who was predictably withdrawn to prepare for a Test recall against New Zealand, with Tom Lawes coming in.

Resuming on 82-2, night-watchman Rahul Chahar set about the leg-spin of Mason Crane with a couple of sixes.

He had more than done his job in a stand of 76 with Burns by the time he was caught behind off Ben Kellaway for 36.

Dan Lawrence, who had been in superlative form averaging 78 in seven previous games, was bowled without scoring by a peach from Ryan Hadley.

With Ollie Pope starting strongly, Burns looked largely untroubled as he reached his highest score of the season, but almost chipped Kiran Carlson to cover on 82.

He took a pair of fours off Crane to reach a gritty century off 220 balls with 13 fours and a six, while Pope reached his 50 off the final delivery with the old ball when Surrey were 231-4.

Burns eventually fell with the scores level, caught behind down the leg-side off Tom Norton, while Sam Curran took a single first ball to avoid a pair but went no further as he edged Timm van der Gugten to Chris Cooke.

Pope was batting faultlessly as Glamorgan's bowlers toiled in the heat, until he drove at Crane and mis-hit to mid-on to put Surrey back in trouble.

Further stoic resistance followed in the evening sun from Ryan Patel (40) and Adam Thomas (30) before both fell to Hadley.

Surrey's last-wicket pair of Jordan Clark and sub Lawes, both used to batting further up the order but relegated by a duo of nightwatchmen, put bat firmly to ball in an unbeaten stand of 56 against some tiring bowlers.

As dozens of pigeons and gulls besieged the outfield, Glamorgan's frustration grew as the partnership kept alive Surrey's hopes of setting a competitive target, with Lawes on 31 overnight and Clark not out 22.

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