Allenby stands firm to frustrate Surrey

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Jason Roy takes evasive action as Jim Allenby's determined 65 not out helped Glamoragn avoid the follow on at the Oval

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Jim Allenby struck an unbeaten 65 as Glamorgan avoided the follow-on against Surrey on a truncated third day amid showers at the Brit Insurance Oval.

The visitors reached the close on 273 for nine, still 107 adrift of Surrey’s first innings total, with Allenby receiving good support from Dean Cosker and last man Huw Waters either side of a lengthy rain delay.

When the heavens opened shortly before 2pm, Glamorgan had just scraped past their follow-on target of 231, but Allenby and Waters safely negotiated the remaining 20 overs when play resumed over three hours later.

Stuart Meaker claimed 5-97 for Surrey and was well supported by Chris Tremlettt, who chipped in with 3-53, but the game now looks set to end in a draw.

Tremlett picked up the wicket of Ben Wright, caught at third slip, with his first delivery.

Meaker accounted for Jamie Dalrymple seven overs later, with Gareth Batty taking the first of three catches, but Tom Maynard and Allenby put the hosts on the back foot with an intelligent fifth-wicket stand that harvested 87 in 20 overs.

Maynard, playing adeptly square of the wicket, hit a 79-ball half-century - his third championship fifty in six innings - which included nine fours.

But Glamorgan went into the lunch interval at 185 for six as two wickets fell in quick succession.

Maynard was caught at first slip for 61 after throwing the kitchen sink at a delivery from Meaker and Chris Schofield picked up the wicket of Mark Wallace five balls later with a ball that skidded on and took the middle stump.

James Harris was adjudged leg before to Meaker shortly after the resumption and when the same bowler had Robert Croft caught down the leg side, Glamorgan looked destined to follow on.

But Surrey’s hopes of sticking the visitors in again were thwarted as Cosker joined Allenby in a belligerent ninth-wicket alliance.

The follow-on was averted in the 60th over as Jason Roy failed to hold on to what would have been a superb catch at point, enabling Cosker to steal a quick single off Meaker.

The veteran spinner departed in the very next over, but he had already achieved his primary objective.