A rearguard performance from the Bradford Leeds UCCE lower order allowed the university students to salvage a draw on the final day of three against Surrey at the Brit Oval today.

Surrey batted on for just over an hour this morning with Mark Ramprakash only taking a matter of minutes to add the five runs to his overnight score to bring up his century.

Ali Brown accelerated his overnight score, to blitz the ball to the boundary in typical style. It was not long before he brought up his half century and seemed on track to join Ramprakash on three figures. However, it was not to be as he was well caught at long-on for 85.

Rikki picked up a vital wicket to support Akram and Ormond.
James Benning went in a similar manner to Brown, before Rikki Clark called in his batsmen with Surrey posting a colossal 509 runs for the Bradford Leeds team to chase down.

Jimmy Ormond took the new ball and got his side off to the best possible start as he picked up a wicket off the first ball of the innings. Matters went from bad to worse for the students as Ormond and Mohammad Akram bowled brilliantly in tandem to tear through the Bradford Leeds top order.

After the break Ormond picked up his third wicket and Akram his second to leave the students struggling on 17 for five. This soon became 41 for six when Clarke introduced himself into the attack and dismissed the wicket keeper Robert Sutton for 17, caught by Ormond.

Facing a serious defeat, Thomas Merilaht and his captain and first innings half centurion, Oliver Rowland-Jones dug in and started to put together a partnership. The pair played nicely to see their side up to tea. Both players registered half centuries before Brown caught Rowland-Jones off the bowling of Chris Schofield.

After his captain’s dismissal Merilaht continued to dig in, and found some good support from first Daniel Jones, who scored 28 and then Jonathan Wightman. Merilaht ended up seeing out the remainder of the day to be 74 not out and save the match for Bradford Leeds.

Surrey will now prepare themselves for their opening Division One LV County Championship Match against Yorkshire starting at the Brit Oval on Wednesday.

To see the scorecard for today's play, click here.

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