On a hot September Sunday, sun stolen from a dreary August, the County Championship returned. To a bubbling Oval hum and an audience of shirt sleeves on pale blue seats, Ben Foakes petted a deft hundred for Surrey, his third ton of the first-class summer. Foakes and Cameron Steel (69 runs) added an unbeaten 152 for the fifth wicket, keeping out Warwickshire’s second new ball, and bolstering earlier half‑centuries from Dom Sibley (Birkenstocks) and Jamie Smith (kickback mules).
The hosts finished the day on 339-4. Surrey, eyes on a second consecutive title, go into the final month of the season top of the table, leading second-placed Essex by 17 points. Warwickshire must win at the Oval for an even theoretical tilt at the title. Liam Dawson, having a season to remember for Hampshire, hit an unbeaten 109 against Somerset under the eye of the England selector Luke Wright. It was a stodgy surface, with Somerset bowling 24 maidens in the day.
Sam Whiteman bashed a boisterous 79 in his final game before he returns to Australia, but the Division One wooden spoonists Northamptonshire threw a couple of run-outs into the mix and yet again failed to reach 250. Ben Sanderson and Jack White plucked out Lancashire’s openers before stumps.
In Division Two, Durham continued to storm towards promotion, dismissing Sussex for 266 despite an opening stand of 110 between Toms Clark and Haines. Matt Parkinson was Durham’s gamechanger, snatching four for 58 and a sprinting, sprawling catch. Ben Raine collected his 50th wicket of the season.
In the promotion battle at New Road, an unbeaten 74 from Brett D’Oliveira coaxed Worcestershire out of the doldrums despite three wickets apiece for Glamorgan’s James Harris and Jamie McIlroy. Tom Scriven’s four for 30 helped Leicestershire to bowl out Gloucestershire for 159.
Anuj Dal grabbed five wickets on a slow pitch at Scarborough, where Yorkshire were rustled out for less than 300 by Derbyshire. A sleepy crowd watched the 22‑year‑old James Wharton make 58, thoughts running to the future with Yorkshire bottom of the table after their 48‑point deduction by the CDC committee.