Ballance Defies Rejuvenated Surrey

It took the batting heroics of Gary Ballance, who contributed a century in each innings, to prevent a curtain-closing triumph for relegated Surrey. The hosts produced the kind of performance in the latter half of this contest which begs the question of how such a fine team could spectacularly under-perform in this year's County Championship. This was the second time this summer that the south Londoners and Yorkshire were locked together in a hard-fought draw.

On day one, the Tykes again won the toss and not surprisingly elected to bat first on the hallowed turf of the Oval. Yet again, Yorkshire failed to construct an opening partnership of any substance - a recurring theme. Fortunately, Phil Jaques and then Gary Ballance made amends for the failures of their colleagues as they compiled 88 and 148 respectively. The white rose's eventual total of 434 looked quite adequate but was subsequently made to look small by a majestic reply by Surrey's top order batsmen. Hashim Amla reminded everyone of his class with a brilliant 151, but his innings was eclipsed by a jaw-dropping 242 from teenage sensation, Dominic Sibley (pictured). Young Mr Sibley may be returning to finish his A Levels, but it seems that he could teach Yorkshire's hapless openers about how to construct a massive score.

Not only did Yorkshire's bowlers fail to deliver, but adding insult to injury, the Tykes lost three wickets cheaply for a paltry 21 runs on the final morning when a survival exercise on a good batting pitch appeared to be beyond the mediocre Lees and Lyth. Happily, Kane Williamson weighed in with his fifth half-century of the last month, but once more he could not convert a fifty into a ton. When Andrew Gale was dismissed off the bowling of Ansari, the away team were still in arrears with only four wickets left. However, an inspired Gary Ballance became the first Yorkshire player to achieve a century in each innings since Younis Khan in 2007. in the event, Ballance prevented Surrey from bowing out of the top flight with an unlikely victory.

On the evidence of this encounter, Surrey shouldn't stay too long in English county cricket's basement, while one fears for Yorkshire next year if the talented Mr Ballance is absent on England duty. With the exception of him and Williamson, Yorkshire's batting line-up comprises several flat track bullies who look decidedly fragile when they are under pressure.

Surrey versus YORKSHIRE; at the Oval; 24th-27th September; YORKSHIRE won the toss.

YORKSHIRE first innings: 434 (Ballance 148, Jaques 88; Ansari 4-70, Dunn 3-97, Jewell 3-100)

Surrey first innings: 634 for 5 declared (Sibley 242, Amla 151, Burns 82, Solanki 51)

YORKSHIRE second innings: 265 for 6 (Ballance 108*, Williamson 60; Linley 3-33)

Match drawn.