Kumar Sangakkara hits ton in Surrey draw

Kumar Sangakkara scored his second Championship century for Surrey as their Division Two match with Northants ended, as expected, in a draw.

Persistent rain during days one and two wrecked any hopes of a positive result.

But the visitors were keen to secure maximum bonus points and did so thanks to Sangakkara (111) and a career-best 140 off 145 balls from Jason Roy.

They put on 170 for the fifth wicket as Surrey declared on 499-6 in reply to Northants’ 309 all out.

Sri Lanka international Sangakkara, 37, hit 149 against Glamorgan in his first match for the county last month and passed three figures again at Wantage Road, his innings containing 11 fours.

Steven Davies (44) was the only man to fall in the morning session, before Sangakkara and Roy – who struck 17 fours and a six in his three-hour knock – took Surrey into the lead.

Wicketkeeper Gary Wilson (74 not out) and captain Gareth Batty batted out the rest of the day before the two skippers shook hands for a draw.

Northants captain Alex Wakely: “We targeted these two home games against Lancashire and Surrey as big games and we wanted to play them on high-scoring, good wickets.

“We had to play well and while we threw it away slightly with the bat yesterday, we’re in a really good position and I’d have taken this at the start of the season.”

Surrey batsman Jason Roy: “It’s a great feeling to leave this place knowing I’ve got some runs. I’ve been in a good place all season, playing well in the nets and feeling good, but it’s not always about that as a batsman.

“Kumar’s a great man, a great cricketer and it was enjoyable. He talked me through, step by step, how to build an innings and I learned a lot from him.

“That’s all you can ask from a man of his stature and I didn’t want to get out. I just wanted to keep batting with him.”