Weather in lead role as Bears draw comfort

THE weather had the final say at the Kia Oval as title favourites Surrey were forced to accept a draw against Warwickshire that cuts their lead over Nottinghamshire at the top of the Rothesay County Championship to a single point.

- By ECB REPORTERS NETWORK

Surrey set Warwickshire 390 to win in 76 overs after declaring their second innings on 391 for eight, with Dom Sibley completing his fourth championship hundred of the season despite batting with a runner due to a groin injury.

But Warwickshire had few alarms in initially reaching 60 for one from 23 overs before the players were driven from the field at 2.24pm by heavy rain. Play did resume again at 3.50pm, with a potential 36 overs remaining, but hands were shaken 16 overs later with Warwickshire on 105 for one.

Tom Lawes pinned Warwickshire captain Alex Davies leg-before for 31 just before the rains came but, in the end, just too many overs - 114 in all following the loss of almost 75 on day three - were taken out of the game by the weather for a positive result to be possible.

It sets up a titanic contest between Surrey and Nottinghamshire next week in their only meeting this sea-