LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Whitgift School:
CLOSE OF PLAY, FINAL DAY: Match Drawn. Surrey 493 & 239-8 dec, Worcestershire 465 & 170-8
Surrey 9 pts, Worcs 9 pts
Match scorecard

Moeen Ali made just 803 Championship runs for Worcestershire last summer

Surrey's hopes of only their second County Championship victory in three seasons were thwarted by Worcestershire batsman Moeen Ali at Whitgift School.

Having declared on 239-8 to set 268 to win in a minimum of 51 overs, the hosts then reduced Worcestershire to 168-8.

But Moeen added an unbeaten 70 to his first innings century to salvage a draw in a tense finish on 170-8.

Former Worcestershire off spinner Garth Batty took three wickets, backed by two from leg spinner Chris Schofield.

Surrey's near miss would have rewarded a bold challenge by skipper Rory Hamilton-Brown, considering that they had lost their first two matches.

It almost paid off after Andre Nel's second ball bounced and left Phil Jaques edging to second slip for the first pair of his career.

Jade Dernbach then bowled Daryl Mitchell soon afterwards and Surrey's hopes were high when Batty broke a third-wicket stand of 54 between Moeen and skipper Vikram Solanki before removing Alexei Kervezee and Ben Smith in quick succession.

Batty, who has returned to Surrey after eight seasons with Worcestershire, pinned both Solanki (44) and Smith lbw before bowling Kervezee as he tried to sweep.

He should also have had Moeen caught at silly mid-off for 16 but the chance went down and Surrey paid a heavy price.

Moeen, who faced 147 balls in defying Surrey for 50 overs, found some support from Ben Scott until he was lbw to Schofield.

And, although Richard Jones and Jack Shantry fell cheaply to Usman Afzaal and Schofield respectively, Alan Richardson survived the final over from Dernbach.

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