County Championship: Mark Footitt leaves Lancashire reeling to keep Surrey in the title picture

Like Yorkshire’s Tim Bresnan at Scarborough, Surrey left-arm seamer Mark Footitt was celebrating the best return of his career after taking the final two Lancashire wickets yesterday morning to finish with figures of 7-62

That saw Lancashire bowled out for 230, and Surrey openers Rory Burns and Dominic Sibley knocked off the required 38 runs in 9.1 overs to record a comfortable 10-wicket win.

It keeps them in the race, but they have played two games more than the two teams above them.

Somerset’s hopes of keeping pressure on the pacesetters suffered a blow as they were held to a draw by relegation-threatened Hampshire at Taunton.

Craig Overton (138) scored his maiden first-class ton and Roelof van der Merwe (102 not out) also reached three figures early on Friday as Somerset declared on 587 -8 and a lead of 249.

Hampshire lost captain Will Smith for a duck in reply, but Sean Ervine (106) and Jimmy Adams (96) helped them finish on 254-5 for a share of the spoils.

The other Division One fixture finished in a draw as well, with a 151-run stand between Scott Borthwick (92) and Mark Stoneman helping (80) Durham keep Warwickshire at bay.

The hosts finished on 195-3 in their second innings after Warwickshire had declared on 381-8 for a lead of 174.

In Division Two, Kent moved 24 points behind leaders Essex with a crushing victory over Gloucestershire at Bristol, the visitors winning by an innings and 69 runs.

Hamish Marshall fought hard to try and deny Kent, top-scoring with 118, but no other Gloucestershire batsman could get beyond 24 as the hosts were bowled out for 243.

Worcestershire and Sussex were also victorious in matches that went right to the wire.

Joe Clarke’s 125 helped Worcestershire chase down their mammoth 401-run target against Northamptonshire with two wickets to spare at New Road.

Sussex also claimed a two-wicket victory after being set 233 to win by Glamorgan at Cardiff.