DAY 1
An ultimately frustrating day at the Kia Oval as rain meant that no play was possible on the first day.
The toss took place at 10:30am, which was won by Worcestershire who chose to field, with the side unchanged from the previous Championship match at Trent Bridge.
But before 11am the rain had arrived and although the sun made one or two appearances there were further intervals of wet weather and the umpires, Jeff Evans and Nigel Llong, called the day's play off after a 4:15pm inspection.
DAY 2
The evergreen Alan Richardson took five wickets as Worcestershire had the better of a shortened second day at the Kia Oval, with Surrey on 123-7 at stumps.
Play got underway on time and after a bright opening from the Surrey openers, Steven Davies and Jason Roy, they both succumbed to Richardson as Roy was lbw for 38, with the score on 48, and, 7 runs later, Davies found the outside edge to Ben Scott for 15. Richard Jones then got the wickets of both Mark Ramprakash, caught by Vikram Solanki at first slip for 1, and captain Rory Hamilton-Brown, caught behind by Scott for 3, but then rain stopped play just before 12:30pm and an early lunch was taken, with the hosts on 60-4.
Soon after lunch Richardson took his third wicket when Zander de Bruyn was caught by Daryl Mitchell at second slip for 6, with the score on 69-5, but Tom Maynard and Chris Jordan steadied the ship for Surrey and had reached 117-5 when the rain returned at 2:30pm. After a lengthy delay they resumed at 5:10pm and Richardson immediately struck when Maynard was trapped lbw for 34. With the floodlights on and the dark clouds hovering over the Kia Oval Richardson got his fifth wicket of the innings when Jordan was bowled for 20. A few moments later the players were off again for rain and the umpires abandoned the day's play at 5:50pm, with only 35 overs possible.
A good day for Worcestershire, despite the rain, and, weather permitting, will hope to take the three remaining Surrey wickets in the morning session.
DAY 3
On an eventful third day at the Kia Oval the match is intriguingly poised as Surrey ended on 131-6, in their second innings, with the hosts leading by 152 runs.
Surrey started the day on 123-7, in their first innings, and although Gareth Batty was dropped by Vikram Solanki, in the first over of the day, the eighth wicket fell moments later when Stuart Meaker was caught brilliantly by Ben Scott, who dived to his left, for 4 to give Alan Richardson his sixth wicket. Solanki made amends when he held on to an outside edge from Batty, who scored 9, to give David Lucas his first wicket of the innings and then Jade Dernbach, two balls later, edged behind to Scott off Lucas for a duck as Surrey were all out for 140. Alan Richardson stood out for Worcestershire, with excellent figures of 6-47 off 20 overs, with Richard Jones (2-33) and Lucas (2-51) taking the other four wickets.
Worcestershire's reply had got off to a bad start when Michael Klinger edged an awayswinger from Jon Lewis to Tom Maynard at second slip for 5 and then Solanki became Lewis's second victim when Chris Jordan took a fantastic one-handed catch at cover point, off a leading edge, for 10. Moeen Ali was the next man to depart when he was lbw to Meaker for 3 and the fourth wicket followed soon afterwards when Daryl Mitchell edged to Maynard at second slip, off Meaker, for 14 to leave the visitors, at lunch, on 38-4.
After lunch the wickets continued to fall as Alexei Kervezee edged a Lewis awayswinger to Maynard for 3, Scott edged behind to Steven Davies off Meaker for 1 and Shaaiq Choudhry gave Maynard his fourth catch off Meaker, without scoring, to leave Worcestershire on 56-7. Lucas became the eighth wicket to fall when he was bowled by Meaker for 10, with the score on 74, but James Cameron and Jones took the County past 100 and had provided some much-needed resistance. But it wasn't to last and their ninth-wicket partnership had reached 41 when Jones got an outside edge to Batty off Dernbach for 22. Cameron was the last wicket to fall, when edging a pull to Davies off Meaker, for a resolute 41 off 94 balls and the visitors were all out for 119 at tea, trailing by 21 runs.
Surrey's second innings didn't start off in great style either as Richardson, once again, caused problems and he got his reward when he dismissed Jason Roy, who edged to Mitchell in the slips, for 14. Lucas took the next wicket as he bowled Davies for 8 and then Richardson took two further wickets by trapping both Zander de Bruyn (3) and Mark Ramprakash (10) lbw to leave the hosts on 50-4. Jones then got his first wicket of the innings when Maynard got a leading edge and was caught by a tumbling Lucas at mid-off for 9. At 59-5 and traling by 81 runs Worcestershire were very much in the match but Rory Hamilton-Brown led from the front to frustrate the County and although Jones got Jordan to edge behind to Scott for 9, the Surrey captain had got to his 50 before the close and his innings may well prove to be crucial if the weather doesn't have the final say.
DAY 4
The weather was to have the final say as Worcestershire's LV= County Championship match against Surrey at the Kia Oval ended in a draw.
Worcestershire needed quick wickets and David Lucas got the first wicket of the day when Gareth Batty edged a short ball, which climbed, and was caught by James Cameron for 19. Rory Hamilton-Brown continued to play well and seemed largely untroubled but on 76, the Surrey captain was out as an attemped drive went straight up in the air and was caught by Shaaiq Choudhry at mid-on to give Alan Richardson his 10th wicket of the match for only the second time in his first-class career.
Jon Lewis and Stuart Meaker then frustrated the County as Surrey's lead went past 200 runs but the ninth wicket fell on 199 when Meaker edged to Vikram Solanki off Richard Jones for 19. Jade Dernbach then played a few shots before he was the last man to go when he holed out to Choudhry at long-on for 22 as Surrey were all out for 224. Richardson ended up with 4-81, with outstanding match figures of 10-128, and Jones (3-62) and Lucas (3-66) both ended up with 5 wickets in the match.
Worcestershire required 246 runs to win off a mimimum of 70 overs and Daryl Mitchell and Michael Klinger both survived a tricky 10 minutes before lunch. After lunch Klinger, in particular, played very positively and Mitchell adopted a more solid approach as the Surrey bowlers became frustrated. Klinger went to his 50 with a 6 over long-off but the dark clouds were making their way towards the Kia Oval and although Mitchell was bowled by Chris Jordan for 20 the rain arrived at 3:30pm. Despite taking tea the rain continued to fall and the umpires abandoned the match as a draw at 4:45 pm, with Klinger unbeaten on 69 off 95 balls, with 10 fours and 1 six.
Unfortunately the weather spolit what could have been an exciting conclusion and Worcestershire will now look forward to their first home match of the season against Nottinghamshire next Thursday.
WORCESTERSHIRE (119 & 94-1) DREW WITH SURREY (140 & 224)
