Surrey alone on top thanks to Hollioake

Round-up

Surrey took full advantage of the differing fortunes of the other two teams on top of the Sunday League. With Yorkshire losing and Northamptonshire being rained off they move two points clear after a 23-run win against Hampshire. At the other end of the table there was a long overdue victory for Durham.

Mark Butcher and Alistair Brown set Surrey on their way with an opening stand of 84 with both scoring half-centuries. Most of the Surrey batsmen got to double figures but no further as they totalled 222.

With Hampshire's batsmen also failing to advance after getting a start, Surrey's acting captain, Adam Hollioake, took four wickets as the home side were dismissed for 199.

Northamptonshire had to settle for two points when their match at New Road was abandoned after an hour.

Durham's eight-wicket win over Essex was their first in 28 games against a first-class county in a major tournament this season and their first win in the Sunday League since 6 August 1995. Their only previous points came from an abandoned match.

Phil Simmons hit his fourth successive Sunday League half-century for Leicestershire at Grace Road only for the match against Sussex to be another abandoned due to rain.

Simmons, the leading runs-scorer in the league, scored 83 off 57 balls with 11 fours and a six to take his total to 582.