Thrilling finish in prospect for Lancashire's day-nighter at Surrey

Lancashire require 94 runs with five wickets remaining on the final day to overturn the formbook and win this pink-ball contest in the Specsavers County Championship at the Kia Oval.

The struggling Red Rose county fought hard to reach 177 -5 in their second innings of this day-nighter, chasing a target of 271, with Steven Croft on 28 not out and Josh Bohannon unbeaten on 22.

The sixth-wicket pair have so far added 52 in 19 overs, and they gritted it out impressively under the floodlights in the final session.

Croft has faced 74 balls, hitting two fours, while Bohannon has yet to find the ropes in a gutsy 66-ball effort that continues an eye-catching championship debut.

The 21-year-old from Bolton hit an excellent 52 in Lancashire’s first innings and has also bowled his medium-pacers usefully in this match.

Amar Virdi took 3-61 in a 21-over spell as Surrey sought a seventh Championship victory in nine games.

Virdi followed up his initial scalp of Alex Davies by removing both Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Rob Jones in the final session as Lancashire lost three wickets inside 12 overs.

Rikki Clarke struck in the second over of the last session, pinning Dane Vilas leg-before for three and, when Chanderpaul edged Virdi to slip to go for two and Jones’s excellent 48 was ended by a second brilliant reaction catch by Will Jacks at short leg, Lancashire had stumbled to 125-5.

Jones, 22, had fought hard through 89 balls in a stay of almost two hours. He had driven Virdi high over long on for six and also hit six fours before he advanced to the off spinner, nicked hard on to his front pad as he tried to whip to leg and saw Jacks move smartly to his left to take the catch.

At the start of the innings, Davies struck 35 from 38 balls to launch Lancashire’s chase in some style, but Virdi’s wicket-haul started when he was brought on for the 12th over, the score at 45 without loss.

With only his second ball had Davies superbly caught by Jacks at short leg.

Davies had greeted the introduction of Morne Morkel in the fourth over by thumping the giant former South African fast bowler’s fourth ball through extra cover for four, and then driving his next ball high to wide long off for six.

He then square cut Morkel thrillingly to the ropes and had hit seven boundaries when Jacks clung on to a clip off the face of the bat low to his right.

Morkel returned for a second burst from the Vauxhall End and dismissed Lancashire’s other opener Haseeb Hameed leg-before for 20 as they reached tea at 93-2.

Earlier, Lancashire’s challenging victory target had been set after Surrey moved from their overnight 197-4 to 306 all out, with tailenders Dernbach and Morkel sharing their second half-century stand of the match.

The third day began with Sam Curran adding just four to his overnight 27 before slashing at a short ball from Tom Bailey and edging to keeper Vilas.

Ben Foakes battled on doggedly but on 33 he edged a fine ball from Mennie through to Vilas to leave Surrey 226-6.

Ryan Patel was leg-before to leg spinner Matt Parkinson on 14 and Clarke went the same way to Onions for 19.