Thursday 14 May 2015 09:08, UK
Man-of-the-moment Kevin Pietersen was able to watch with his feet up from the sanctuary of the dressing room as Steve Davies and Jason Roy spearheaded Surrey's seven-wicket victory against Leicestershire at the Kia Oval.
Davies reached a superb hundred off only 57 balls, finishing unbeaten on 115 from 69 balls with four sixes and 11 fours.
Needing 216 from 24 overs after Leicestershire were all out in their second innings for 480 in the fifth over after tea, Surrey got home with 16 balls to spare on the back of the thrilling assault by Davies and Roy, who scored 67 from 39 balls.
Kumar Sangakkara (12) then came in to hit his first two balls for four and Gary Wilson and then Rory Burns helped Davies to steer Surrey home.
Although it was Pietersen's first innings 355 not out that had put Surrey into a winning position, his stroke play was not needed second time around as Roy and Davies launched themselves at the Leicestershire bowling to put on 145 for the first wicket in just 11.1 overs.
At the 10-over mark Surrey were 133 without loss and victory was all but assured when Roy was caught on the cover boundary after hitting four sixes and six fours. Davies completed his fifty from just 24 balls - four less than it had taken Roy.
Surrey's first championship win of the season earned them a maximum 24 points, while Leicestershire took just five for what is their 20th defeat in 36 winless championship games since September 2012.
Earlier, Pietersen was forced to miss the start of the final day as he left the ground to have a scan on a calf injury before returning to watch the dramatic denouement unfold from the dressing room balcony.
Gloucestershire claimed a second successive County Championship win as they beat Lancashire by 91 runs during a thrilling final day at Emirates Old Trafford.
Sixteen wickets fell in a day which saw Geraint Jones's side set a target of 300 in a minimum of 70 overs shortly before lunch having declared on 275-9 following the decision to not risk Liam Norwell's injured finger with the bat.
Lancashire slipped to 22-4 before half-centuries for fifth-wicket pair Alviro Petersen and Alex Davies took them to 140-4 in the 33rd over, only to see Davies and then Petersen fall either side of tea.
Petersen and Davies hit 63 and 58 respectively, with the latter's innings including three sixes against left-arm spinner Tom Smith.
Lancashire, who retained top spot in Division Two following a first defeat in four, were ultimately bowled out for 208 inside 57 overs as Jones and company built on last week's win over Essex.
A magnificent unbeaten 163 from Rob Keogh and the bravery of Josh Cobb and Alex Wakely denied Derbyshire what looked a certain victory over Northamptonshire.
Keogh batted for just short of six hours while Cobb and Wakely defied the pain of injured hands to steer Northants to safety at 390 for nine, 37 runs short of the 427 victory target - a highest ever victory chase.
Cobb (43) shared a stand of 83 in 22.4 overs and after Rory Kleinveldt (35) had helped add 75 for the ninth wicket, Wakely stayed with Keogh for the last 77 minutes to secure a thrilling draw although they were helped by the hosts spilling four catches.
There was a draw in Canterbury too, where Glamorgan were attempting to chase down 404 for victory on the final day.
The Welsh county lost only eight wickets throughout to clinch a fourth draw from as many Division Two starts and agonisingly miss out on a first win.
Kent were unable to blast through the Glamorgan tail and the hosts were made to settle for 12 points as the visitors reached 309-9 for a 10-point return. Calum Haggett was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4-61.
