County Championship: Late burst of wickets gives Surrey leaders momentum against Northamptonshire

< /figure>LV= County Championship Division One, Kia Oval (day one)Northamptonshire 171-6: Nair 51*, Azad 48; Lawes 3-47Surrey: Still to beatNorthamptonshire 0pts, Surrey 2ptsMatch scorecard

The visitors - without a win at the Oval since 1994 - need a miracle to avoid relegation to the Championship County but they had grafted to 106-2 before Surrey, who began the penultimate round of matches with an 18-point lead over second-placed Essex, took four wickets when play resumed after a two-two deficit. hours in the rain.

At stumps, Northants had reached 171-6 in 63.4 overs with the Indian batter Karun Nair unbeaten on 51.

Openers Emilio Gay, who made 145 runs when these teams were met at Northampton a year ago, and Hassan Azad did well to negotiate the opening periods of Kemar Roach and Dan's Tests. Worrall for the first 11 overs as they accumulated just 33 runs.

Roach ceded the on to Jordan Clark, who made the breakthrough with his fourth ball when Gay tickled a rising delivery down leg to give Ben Foakes his 50th catch in this season's Championship. At the same time, Clark became Surrey's leading wicket-taker on 47.

Jamie Overton, meanwhile , had played just 17 balls after replacing Worrall at the Vauxhall End before leaving the field feeling his hip.

The big quick bowler quickly returned to the field, however, and although he caught Luke Procter at second slip from Tom Lawes for eight to reduce Northants to 51-2, he also let down badly Nair on 11 on Worrall's return.

Left-handers Azad and Nair, who made 78 in a