LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Northampton:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY TWO: Northants 397, Surrey 210-7
Northants 6pts, Surrey 4pts
Match scorecard

Linley's previous best first-class figures were 4-77

Tim Linley took his maiden first-class five-wicket haul but Surrey struggled to fight their way back into contention on day two against Northants.

With the hosts resuming on 330-5, Mal Loye (164) and Nicky Boje (88) moved their sixth-wicket stand to 193.

But when Boje was run out for 88, Northants lost their last five wickets for 35 runs, Linley picking up 5-105.

Surrey then faltered in reply to close on 210-7, 187 behind, despite 70 from Mark Ramprakash.

Boje had added just 11 to his overnight total when he was found short of his ground by Chris Schofield's direct hit from mid-on.

606: DEBATE It's the kind of pitch where the bowlers just need to keep putting the ball in good areas and things will happen and the Surrey bowlers unfortunately are not capable of doing that for long periods of time Carrottdude

James Middlebrook missed a Jade Dernbach full toss to be lbw soon after, before Linley took the last three wickets to fall, including that of Loye who was the last man out after over six hours at the crease.

Sri Lankan seamer Chaminda Vaas, in his first game for Northants, had Arun Harinath caught at slip in his first over before Ramprakash and Steven Davies (33) added 49 for the second wicket.

When Davies was caught behind of Lee Daggett (2-52), Surrey captain Rory Hamilton-Brown (30) joined Ramprakash to move the score to 115-2.

But he edged Boje's left-arm spin to O'Brien, Usman Afzaal was bowled by Daggett and Ramprakash, whose half-century came from 105 balls, sliced Middlebrook to Vaas at point to leave Surrey in trouble at 159-5.

Schofield and Matt Spriegel set about repairing the damage with a sixth-wicket stand of 49, but Schofield was bowled by Andrew Hall (2-36) and Tom Jewell also fell to the Northants captain before the close to leave Surrey in the mire.

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