Surrey v Essex: Scores and match report from County Championship Division One

Match scores (Guildford): Close of play day three

Essex beat Surrey by eight wickets

Surrey 1st inns: 399 (Stoneman 197, Sibley 69, Curran 65; Porter 4-102, Wagner 3-110)

Surrey 2nd inns: 288 (Foakes 65no, Burns 57; Harmer 4-83, Porter 3-58)

Essex 1st inns: 435 (Ten Doeschate 168, Bopara 64; Footitt 3-96)

Essex 2nd inns: 253-2 (Westley 108no, Browne 77)

Day four report 

Tom Westley's phenomenal unbeaten century steered Essex to the top of the Specsavers County Championship following an emphatic eight-wicket win over Surrey at Guildford.

Westley registered 108 not out from 168 balls while Nick Browne contributed an important 77 from only 96 deliveries as Essex made light of a victory target of 253 from a minimum of 83 overs.

They reached the total in 64.2 overs with Westley putting on an unbroken 105-run third-wicket stand with Dan Lawrence, who finished with 32 not out, to lead Essex home on the final afternoon, little more than half-an-hour after tea.

On a wearing pitch, Surrey had been dismissed for 288, with Ben Foakes left stranded on 65 against his former employers, before Essex cruised to their third victory of the season.

Since gaining promotion last year, Essex - who took 24 points with Surrey settling for seven - have surprised the rest of the top division with their early-season success.

But this was a comprehensive win against a team who themselves led Division One until the last round of matches and was achieved despite seamer Matt Quinn suffering a back spasm on day one which has prevented him from bowling since.

Essex began their chase well, with a half-century stand posted by Browne and Alastair Cook.

But the former England captain was out on the stroke of lunch for 31 when, having just driven Ravi Rampaul to the cover boundary, he was drawn into another off drive and edged to Scott Borthwick at second slip.

Browne was eventually caught at slip from one which turned and bounced, playing back to Gareth Batty's off-spin, but not before he and Westley had added a further 95 for the second wicket.

The tall left-hander had faced just 96 balls, hitting 13 fours, and in the latter half of his innings he produced some quality strokes - including an effortless straight drive for four to greet Stuart Meaker's introduction into the attack and then a dismissive short-armed pull to the boundary off Rampaul.

Batty's off-spin did not trouble the Essex batsmen in the same way that former South Africa all-rounder Simon Harmer had made Surrey battle for runs in his second innings return of four for 83 from 39 overs.

Westley moved to 97 with three successive fours off Scott Borthwick's leg-spin, and then brought up three figures from 162 balls with a pull for four off Meaker.

In the morning, Colchester-born Foakes finished unbeaten on 65, from 149 balls, as Surrey added just 35 runs to their overnight 253 for seven before the innings ended in a rush of poor shots and crazy running.

Meaker drove a half-volley from left arm paceman Neil Wagner to extra cover to go for 14, and two balls later Rampaul clipped the same bowler to backward square-leg.

Foakes was then left stranded when he drove Wagner down the ground, looking for two, but Lawrence moved quickly to his right at long-off to field and return to the bowler and there was never any chance of a second run.

Footitt, however, turning blind, set off for the second even though Foakes had clearly decided against it, and Wagner lobbed the ball down the pitch for wicketkeeper James Foster to whip off the bails with Footitt helpless in mid-pitch. 

Day three report

Simon Harmer and Jamie Porter took seven wickets between them as Essex seized control of their Specsavers County Championship Division One match against Surrey at Guildford on a fascinating third day.

By stumps Surrey were 253 for seven in their second innings, building a lead of 217, after Essex had earlier earned themselves a slender first-innings advantage with Ryan ten Doeschate finishing up on a brilliant 168 not out as they replied with 435 to Surrey's 399.

Off-spinner Harmer took four for 75 from 34 skilful overs and Porter claimed three for 48 from 18 overs while Ben Foakes, with a cool and calm 46 not out, again impressed with the bat for Surrey.

Essex captain Ten Doeschate, unbeaten on 120 when Essex began day three on 376 for seven, guided his side past 400 and maximum batting points and, eventually, a hard-fought first-innings lead of 36.

Those runs looked doubly valuable as Porter and Harmer, in their contrasting bowling styles, built up the pressure on a Surrey team who knew they would have to bat for at least three full sessions if they were to make an Essex final-day run chase a tough challenge.

The loss of Mark Stoneman in the third over did not help their cause. Stoneman, who had batted so beautifully first time around for 197, looked like a man in prime form as he almost dismissively twice clipped Neil Wagner's slippery left-arm seamers to the midwicket ropes in front of the beer tent.

Then, however, on 10, he edged the probing Porter to second slip where Harmer juggled the ball for Alastair Cook, at first slip, to complete the catch.

A second-wicket stand of 93 between Rory Burns and Scott Borthwick rallied Surrey, but then the latter dragged Harmer's off spin to midwicket to go for 36.

Burns reached a solid 57 from 128 balls, with eight fours, before Porter had him caught behind and Kumar Sangakkara eased to 26 - going past 900 Championship runs for the season in the process - only for Harmer to remove him with a classical piece of off-break bowling from around the wicket.

He drew the Sri Lankan defensively forward and made him thin-edge to James Foster behind the stumps.

Dominic Sibley, on 28, was lbw half-forward to a Porter delivery angled in to his pads but also seeming to keep a little low.

With Matt Quinn unable to bowl again in the match because of a back spasm sustained on the first day, the 24-year-old Porter's stamina and willingness to run in for lengthy spells was crucial to Essex's ability to keep their opponents under pressure.

Harmer, a 28-year-old Kolpak winter signing who has played five Tests for South Africa, then tilted the match further Essex's way by grabbing the wickets of both Sam Curran and Gareth Batty before the close.

Curran, on four, was athletically caught above his head at short extra cover by leaping substitute fielder Callum Taylor and Batty, who got to 19 without ever suggesting permanency, was well caught by a diving Dan Lawrence at short leg.

Earlier in the day Wagner went from his overnight 20 to 34 while stretching an eighth-wicket partnership with Ten Doeschate to 72 before he was caught at the wicket off Curran.

Porter then stayed long enough to help Ten Doeschate secure maximum batting points before being bowled by Stuart Meaker for six, and last man Quinn lost his middle stump to Ravi Rampaul.

Ten Doeschate's superb innings, his 26th first-class ton, came from 209 balls and the 36-year-old hit a six and 25 fours.

Day two report

Ryan ten Doeschate's first hundred of the season put Essex in a good position after another day of heavy run scoring against Surrey at Guildford.

The Essex captain has struggled to recapture the form he showed last season when he scored 1,226 runs with four centuries, but he finished unbeaten on 120 with Essex 367 for seven in reply to Surrey's 399.

Ten Doeschate came in when his side were in a spot of bother. Surrey skipper Gareth Batty had taken two quick wickets to reduce Essex to 134 for four, but Ravi Bopara helped ten Doeschate rebuild the innings with a stand of 120 in 27 overs, of which Bopara contributed 64, his first half-century of the season.

The 36-year-old had a life on 37 when wicketkeeper Ben Foakes put down a difficult chance down the leg side but grew in confidence as he built his innings, playing authoritative shots on both sides of the wicket.

A leg glance off Stuart Meaker took him to his hundred, off 120 balls, and by stumps he had faced 144 balls and hit a six and 18 fours.

Surrey's attack stuck to their task throughout and there were moments in the day when they looked to be in control. Sam Curran had Alastair Cook (31) lbw with a touch of late inswing on the stroke of lunch and after Tom Westley (23) was squared up by Mark Footitt, Batty struck twice with Nick Browne (43) lbw working to leg and Dan Lawrence cutting straight to point.

But Bopara and Ten Doeschate took advantage of quick-scoring conditions to build a useful partnership which ended when Stuart Meaker returned to the attack and found a touch of reverse swing to pin Bopara for 64 offering no shot, having hit nine fours and two sixes.

Footitt returned to pick up James Foster (12) and Simon Harmer (20) but Neil Wagner helped Ten Doeschate add 41 for the eighth wicket on a day when 413 runs were scored.

Earlier, Mark Stoneman completed a career-best 197 but just missed out on a maiden double hundred. The left-hander resumed on 181 and scored the seven he needed to take him past his previous best, made for former county Durham against Middlesex in 2014.

Essex wicketkeeper Foster dived in front of slip to take the edge after Stoneman made his first mistake, driving outside off stump at a delivery from Wagner he could have ignored. He faced 248 balls and hit two sixes and 26 fours.

Batty (13) drove to point off Bopara before Jamie Porter switched ends to finish the innings when he picked up Ravi Rampaul (three) and Footitt (nought) in five balls as Surrey lost their last four wickets in four overs for seven runs.

Day one report

Mark Stoneman scored a chanceless unbeaten 181 to continue his impressive form for Surrey as they controlled the first day of their Specsavers County Championship clash against Essex at Guildford.

The 29-year-old left-hander's third century since he moved to the club from Durham last winter helped them reach 353 for five after they had been put in by Essex in the battle between two sides looking to put pressure on leaders Hampshire.

Stoneman still has ambitions to play for England and is certainly the in-form opener in the country at the moment. Former England captain Alastair Cook, who had the best view in the house at first slip, would have been impressed with the quality of Stoneman's ball-striking, particularly square of the wicket and through the off-side.

He did not offer a chance against an Essex attack depleted by the absence of seamer Matt Quinn for much of a rain-shortened day after he went off with back spasms.

Stoneman watched three partners depart at the other end before sharing a stand of 186 in 41 overs with Dominic Sibley, whose 69 was his third Championship half-century of the season, to alter the course of the day.

Jamie Porter had claimed two wickets with the new ball, including Kumar Sangakkara for just four, to help reduce Surrey to 89 for three after morning rain had delayed the start until 1.10pm.

Porter claimed his 150th first-class wicket when Rory Burns (14) swished outside off stump before picking up Sangakkara, who came into the game with 876 first-class runs already this season.

But he aimed an expansive drive at Porter and fell for just four. With Neil Wagner drawing Scott Borthwick (14) forward and finding the edge Essex would have been pleased with their early work.

Stoneman was soon into his stride. He collected leg-side sixes off Porter and off-spinner Simon Harmer and 15 boundaries in a 118-ball hundred which he reached shortly after tea.

His next 50 came off 55 deliveries and he passed his previous best for Surrey, 165 against Warwickshire in the opening game of the season, when he drove a ball from Ravi Bopara back past the bowler to the boundary.

Sibley was starting to plck up the pace, having reached 50 off 99 balls, when Essex captain Ryan ten Doeschate dragged Surrey back with two wickets in successive overs.

Sibley, who hit nine fours and two sixes, was caught behind off Ten Doeschate's sixth ball and in his next over he trapped former Essex team-mate Ben Foakes (4) leg before as Foakes played across the line.

But Sam Curran gave Stoneman excellent support and reached a 54-ball half-century with his 10th boundary in the last over of the day. The pair have added 73 for the sixth wicket so far, Stoneman having so far faced 221 balls with 21 fours and two sixes.