Surrey 415 (Patel 134, Lawes 58, Burns 55, de Leede 4-106) and 25 for 0 beat Durham 262 (Ackermann 78*, Worrall 4-39) and 177 (Gay 48, S Curran 4-23, Worrall 4-34) by ten wickets
Sun kissed and hazy, like the summer should have been. As south London bathed in 25-degree heat, there was a prevailing sense of better late than never. And not solely down to the pleasingly warm weather.
The last day of cricket at the Kia Oval culminated in two tucked to midwicket by skipper Rory Burns to confirm a 10-wicket win for Surrey over Durham. With one round to play, the 2024 County Championship title is within reach. The prospect of silverware now as certain as it should have been at the start of last week.
At the time of writing, the defending champions lead Somerset by 28 points, who must chase down 393 against Lancashire to cut that to 12 going into the final round. That would put the onus on Surrey beating Essex at Chelmsford next week. Three-peats are tough and whether confirmed on Friday if Somerset lose, or in the last days of September, it will be worth the wait.
Surrey did not shirk the hard work on days one and two, but they did not have to over-exert themselves on day three. Just six balls into the morning session, Durham had already lost two more wickets having arrived on 1 for 1. Daniel Hogg - the second nighwatcher after Callum Parkinson was picked off first ball of the second innings - lost his off stump for Dan Worrall's 50th Division One wicket of the season. The soon-to-be-English Australian celebrated by removing regular opener Ben McKinney for a duck two balls later.
Worrall's pocketing of four of the top five was mirrored by Sam Curran, who accounted for four of the rest. The left-armer finished with 4 for 23, three of them bowled, including the final wicket of Chemar Holder that gave Burns and Dom Sibley a real shrug of a chase, polishing off a target of 25 by 3.33pm.
The junior Curran was the only member of the XI not burned by the twin defeats to Somerset in the last week. International duty meant he watched a thrilling red-ball finale at Taunton from a stream in Cardiff - the day before England's second T20I against Australia - and the early Finals Day defeat at Birmingham from Sky commentary box.
What bitterness there was last Thursday was multiplied by the semi-final defeat. Rather than use the rest of the day as a jolly - the prerogative of all teams that lose the 11am semi-final - Surrey decided to return to London immediately.
Almost exactly a week on from Taunton, they were still in the changing room come 6pm - Sam Curran too - cheering as Lancashire's George Balderson removed Tom Kohler-Cadmore to leave Somerset 155 for 5, and lamenting a series of drops. At 6.02pm, there were hoots and hollers as Kasey Aldridge was dismissed off what was the last ball of the day in Manchester, with Somerset needing 189 more on Friday with just four wickets remaining.
"I'd be lying if I said the guys wouldn't be tuning into the scorecards or the streams," Curran said. "Hopefully Lancs can get that victory and stay up as well."
The message from the three wise heads of Gareth Batty, Rory Burns and Alec Stewart was to forget and move on. The performance and result speak to that. "I think that showed the strength and character of the group," Curran said, "to come back to The Oval and win in three days."
It also shows the quality in the squad that someone of Curran's ilk can drop in for just his second County Championship match of the season and have such a profound effect. Likewise, that a bit-part player in Ryan Patel can peel off a face-saving century on day two of just his seventh appearance of the summer, with Will Jacks and Jamie Smith away on England duty.
"The group is a really close group," Curran said. "It was a really tough week last week - lose at Taunton and lose at Finals Day after such a good T20 season. It's frustrating but the character showed this week, guys bouncing back, forgetting about it - that shows why we're such a good team."
As much as defeat stung Durham, their glory had already come to pass. Bonus points confirmed life in Division One for another season, not that they were ever really involved in the scrap. They will remain in London on Thursday night to toast a promising first showing back in the top flight since 2016.
It was one of their reinforcements in Emilio Gay who offered the most resistance with a tidy 48, after a duck in the first innings. The Northamptonshire recruit - currently on loan to cover for Scott Borthwick's injury ahead of joining full-time at the end of the summer - drove well and missed better, having arrived at the end of that crushing first over with Durham 2 for 3, still 152 behind in their second innings.
Gay's dismissal - trapped lbw by Worrall coming around the wicket - came after he had taken the visitors to within 34. That was eventually split between the Netherlands pair of Colin Ackermann and Bas de Leede, who gave Durham the lead before Curran, with the help of Tom Lawes, lopped off the tail.
That tea was taken with such a paltry target was typically cricket, especially when Burns and Sibley took just five overs to complete the formalities. An eighth win of the season was cheered by all at the ground, a sentiment reciprocated by the Surrey players who walked the perimeter to applaud those who remained, as a thank you for their support this summer.
In tow was Stewart, who decided to stop in front of the pavilion bearing his father's name to allow the players their moment in the last of the summer sun. And as he applauded those members applauding him, it did feel a shame this was over so soon.
Spill over into a fourth day and, maybe, the finale Surrey fans dreamed of comes to pass. Of a legend bowing out after 11 years as director of cricket with a fourth Championship title under his watch.
Ah well. Whether with Lancashire's help or by their own hand, whether on Friday or next week - glory awaits.
