Essex v Surrey: Kumar Sangakkara misses out on first-class centuries record

Surrey's Kumar Sangakkara missed out on a record sixth-successive first-class century as their Division One game with Essex ended in a draw at Chelmsford.

The Sri Lankan, who made 200 in the first innings, was caught and bowled by Tom Westley for 84 after a hold-up for bad light.

The game came to an end a few minutes later when Surrey declared on 260-9.

Essex paceman Jamie Porter finished with 5-71, with all five wickets taken in five overs either side of lunch.

Both sides took 11 points from the game, with Essex remaining one point clear of their opponents at the top of the table.

Surrey began the final day on 55-1, just 41 runs ahead, with a draw looking the most likely result despite them losing Rory Burns for 50 when he gave a return catch to spinner Simon Harmer.

However, Porter's inspired spell gave Essex hope of victory as Surrey slumped from 151-2 to 177-7, with Scott Borthwick (36) and Dominic Sibley caught behind off successive deliveries, one before and one after the interval.

Ben Foakes, Sam and Tom Curran followed in quick succession, before Stuart Meaker and Sangakkara halted the slide with a stand of 71.

Following the light interruption, Meaker was bowled by Harmer and, with the prospect of running out of partners, Sangakkara gave a return catch to Westley as he looked to press on to a century.

In his past six Championship innings, he has now scored 136, 105, 114, 120, 200 and 84 - and he also scored an unbeaten 124 in their final One-Day Cup group game.

Essex's Jamie Porter told BBC Radio Essex:

"Tom Westley deserved it. It was a good catch. Obviously it's the prized wicket out there, and he played seriously well.

"I wouldn't like to bowl at him every week. Hopefully at Guildford in a couple of weeks' time I'll have another chance to get him.

"We didn't want to make it easy for him. Part of me thinks it would have been nice for him to get that sixth century, but you should never hand them out. It is credit to us that we made him work for it - and that he didn't get it."

"I feel like I've bowled pretty much the same as I have all season, I just didn't get the same rewards in the first three games. But in the last two games it has clicked and all gone my way."

Acting Surrey captain Rory Burns told BBC Radio Surrey:

"In the first innings, Kumar Sangakkara was outstanding. We needed him at 30-odd for five, and that shows the measure of the man.

"From an outside perspective, everyone else is more disappointed, but he's not the sort of man who plays for those accolades.

"I don't think I can do him justice in words. Two wonderful innings again, and almost six, almost Don Sangakkara.

" It's obviously magnificent, what he's done in the game, and how he's going about it at the minute is high-class."