County cricket: Surrey irked as storm-damaged pitch ends hopes of 10 straight wins

Play has been abandoned here at Headingley, so a draw. Eight points for Yorkshire leaves them needing a maximum of two points from next week’s clash with Worcestershire at New Road to secure safety.

Ian Bell has been forced to retire hurt at Hove after being hit on the thumb by a rising delivery from Oliver Robinson. He has gone for an x-ray. Warwickshire 191 for 2, leading by 288. They are due to start at Bristol any time now.

Wickets at Hove and Lord’s. Warwickshire are 168 for 1 in their second innings against Sussex, leading by 265. Will Rhodes has just been trapped lbw by former Yorkshire teammate Oliver Robinson for 88.

At Lord’s, Derbyshire are 33 for 1 in their chase against Middlesex. Tim Murtagh has removed Luis Reece this morning.

A little more on events at Taunton, where high winds blew the covers off the pitch at the River End of the ground overnight, with a tyre mark even left on the pitch, as you can see here …

The mopping up process had started at Headingley, but it has started raining again.

They have started at Hove and Lord’s, the latter where Derbyshire are 15 for 0 chasing 328 against Middlesex. There will be an inspection at 11am at Bristol ahead of day four between Gloucestershire and Northants.

This just in from the Press Association:

Surrey director of cricket Alec Stewart expressed his frustration at his side’s hopes of a 10th successive victory being wiped out by elements beyond their control.

While he was quick to absolve Somerset of any underhand tactics, Stewart has suggested the England and Wales Cricket Board look into the matter to prevent a repeat.

He said in a video posted on Surrey’s Twitter account: “I’m sure Somerset haven’t done this on purpose in any shape or form but we were trying to win a game, were trying to win 10 on the bounce and it’s been taken out of our hands in a game where we were well ahead.

“These things don’t happen too often but imagine if this game had potentially been a championship decider, which at one stage it was looking to be a few games ago. Just say Somerset were ahead and then we were here and this had happened, a lot more would have been said.

“It’s probably worth the ECB looking ahead, should this sort of thing happen again, what would happen. Is it just an abandoned game? Is it the home side’s responsibility to ensure the covering and everything is of the right standard?

“You can tell we are very, very frustrated and disappointed, as are Somerset, because they wanted to try to save the game and well done to them for trying to do that. It’s just a real frustration all round.”

Good morning.

Drama at Taunton, where the covers have blown off in an overnight storm, leaving conditions unplayable. So that match finishes in a draw, leaving champions Surrey with 13 points and Somerset just the one. Somerset were 168 for 3 in their second innings overnight, a deficit of 171. That means Surrey’s nine-game winning streak comes to an end.

Here at Headingley, it is not quite as dramatic a scene, but I suspect the game will go the same way. Heavy rain overnight, and there has been no attempt yet made to start the mopping up process. Umpires Graham Lloyd and Michael Gough have called an early lunch at 12pm. They will call it off shortly afterwards. Yorkshire are 287-5 in their second innings, leading by 314. Eight points for the draw will leave them needing a maximum of two points from next week’s final round clash with Worcestershire at New Road to secure Division One safety. Hampshire are already safe. In Division Two, there are three games still in play.

At Hove, Warwickshire (141 for 0 in their second innings) lead Sussex by 238 and are chasing a win which would take them back above Kent to the top of Division Two. A draw, which would be enough to secure promotion, would leave it level pegging ahead of next week’s clash between the two sides at Edgbaston – a title decider. At Lord’s, Middlesex will begin day four on 199 for 7 in their second innings, leading Derbyshire by 327, while Northamptonshire have a first-innings lead of 48 over Gloucestershire at Bristol. There was no play possible there yesterday. The sun is shining at all three venues.