Double-ton Afzaal puts Northants on edge of defeat
Usman Afzaal reached 200 for the first time in his first-class career as Surrey finished day three of their LV County Championship match with Northamptonshire on the brink of an innings victory at Wantage Road.
Afzaal, playing against his former county, spent over 500 minutes at the crease and hit 27 fours and two sixes as his 204 not out meant the visitors had amassed a massive 321-run lead when they were all out off the final ball before lunch.
Stephen Peters produced an impressive rearguard action for Northamptonshire - the former Worcestershire opener racked up 78 for his second half-century of the match.
But with only South African Andrew Hall (45) offering any other resistance, Northamptonshire need 133 runs with just three wickets remaining to make Surrey bat again.
The visitors, yet to win in the County Championship this season, started the morning session where they had left off on day two with Afzaal and Murtaza Hussain easing to a 50-run partnership.
Former Nottinghamshire left-hander Afzaal had already passed his previous best of 168 when Hussain departed for 34 - caught behind by David Murphy off Nicky Boje.
Four overs later Andre Nel - who picked up six wickets in Northamptonshire's first innings - was clean bowled by David Wigley.
But it wasn't long before Afzaal took centre stage again as he reached his first double hundred with a nudged single.
With Surrey no doubt contemplating a lunchtime declaration, the decision was made for them when Jade Dernbach edged Johan van der Wath's final ball of the session to Rob White, leaving Surrey 530 all out from 164 overs.
The home side emerged from the lunch break staring down the barrel of an innings defeat and found themselves in trouble at 33 for two with Rob White and Mark Nelson back in the pavilion.
And things went from bad to worse when former Lancashire leg-spinner Chris Schofield picked up two wickets in his first over of the match.
First South African Boje gave Michael Brown an easy catch before David Willey was trapped in front to leave Northants 65 for four. Peters passed 50 with the final ball before tea to leave his side 112 for four.
Peters and Hall tried to steady the ship after tea but Hall - who was earlier dropped by Scott Newman - departed for 45.
When Dernbach claimed his fifth wicket of the match, bowling Murphy, only Peters seemed to stand between the visitors and victory.
But with the opener departing for 78 in the penultimate over it seems only a day of rain can save the home side from slipping to their second Championship defeat of the season.
Email to a friend
Print this page- BREAKING NEWS: Tributes paid to Niamh Curry as brave five-year-old loses battle against cancer
- BREAKING NEWS: Pensioner dies after collision at Northampton shopping centre
- Man tied to tree and beaten on Northampton Racecourse
- BREAKING NEWS: Seven-year-old boy dies following house fire in Northamptonshire
- Northampton binmen at ‘breaking point’
- Northampton binmen at ‘breaking point’
- Saints’ stadium plans get support as long as traffic issues solved
- Eastern European pupils helping school standards across Northampton
- Northampton Town: Boothroyd ‘It’s all about stability’
- Northampton benefits advice agency reports surge in people losing entitlements
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northampton
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: East
