Centuries from Emilio Gay and Alex Lees, in a superb unbroken opening partnership of 262, made sure of a comfortable County Championship draw for Durham against Surrey on day four at the Kia Oval.
Gay hit an unbeaten 156 while Lees followed up his first innings 125 with 100 not out – reaching his second hundred of the match with what proved to be the last ball before hands were shaken at 5pm.
Lees and Gay’s stand was a new Durham partnership record against Surrey for any wicket, beating 183 by Will Smith and Scott Borthwick at Chester-le-Street in 2013.
Durham began the day by initially turning their overnight 343-9 into a final first innings total of 362, with an injured Ben Raine defying Surrey’s bowlers for a further 7.1 overs.
They were helped by early morning rain that prevented any play until midday, while Surrey knew the loss of 16 overs from the day’s allocation also took from them the possibility of having a second new ball available in a final hour.
As it was, after Raine’s brave 19 and more resistance from his tail-end partner Daniel Hogg, Durham were left with 70 overs to negotiate in their second innings when predictably asked to follow on – Surrey having amassed a mammoth 820-9 declared in their own first innings on a flat pitch.
Surrey’s consolation is that the additional eight draw points, giving them 15 in all from the game, are enough to push them to the top of the Division One table for the first time this season – a single point in front of long-time championship leaders Nottinghamshire.
Seamer Raine, who suffered ligament damage in his left ankle on the opening day, had hobbled out at No 11 to survive seven balls at the end of day three.
When day four got under way it seemed as if Raine was moving a little more freely and his further defiance included three fours in a 32-ball effort ended when Will Jacks trapped him lbw.
Lees sliced the first ball of Durham’s second innings just wide of gully for four and the bowler, Dan Worrall, was frustrated again when, on five, the former England Test opener was beaten by a beauty that Surrey’s slip cordon initially thought might have taken a thin edge.
Gay’s first scoring shot was also a streaky edge for four through the slips, off Matt Fisher, but soon the two left-handers had settled in and Rory Burns, Surrey’s captain, used six different bowlers in the first 14 overs of the innings – either side of lunch – in a vain effort to conjure up an early breakthrough.
Surrey all-rounder Sam Curran even aired some rarely-seen left-arm spin as the match meandered through its final overs after the tea interval, and the eight-over spell was tidy enough even if by then both Gay and Lees were content merely to see out time.
It was Gay’s third hundred in Durham colours, since his move from Northamptonshire, and after reaching three figures from 98 balls he faced 172 in all, hitting 25 fours. Lees batted for 162 balls, striking 14 fours.
