SURREY moved a step nearer to clinching promotion when they beat Essex by three wickets in the LV=County Championship Division Two match with Surrey at Colchester.

Surrey collected 22 points from the match while Essex were left with seven for their efforts.

After being set a target of 313 from a minimum of 70 overs, the visitors were able to celebrate their fourth successive triumph with 17 balls to spare, their victory being set-up by three substantial partnerships.

The first featured Rory Burns and Zafar Ansari as they put together an opening stand of 95 in 25 overs before it was broken by left-arm spinner Aron Nijjar.

Ansari had contributed 34 when he was bowled while Burns went on to make 71 including nine fours to add to his century in the first innings.

He too became a victim of Nijjar when he was snapped up by Jaik Mickleburgh in a bat/pad position.

Arun Harinath and Jason Roy added 72 in 20 overs for the fourth wicket before Roy fell for 37. He pulled off-spinner Tom Westley high to deep backward square leg where Matt Salisbury, parried the ball up before over-stepping the boundary ropes but then managed to turn back and complete a fine catch.

That paved the way for Harinath and Gary Wilson to make progress and take Surrey to within sight of the winning post with a partnership worth 92.

Harinath was then trapped lbw by Westley for 87, containing 10 fours, and although Sam Curran and James Burke departed cheaply, Wilson and Gareth Batty saw the visitors home.

Wilson’s fine unbeaten 56 from 55 deliveries included two sixes among his nine boundaries.

Westley, who earlier in the day failed to add to his overnight 90 after Essex had resumed on 214-4, finished with 4-75 and certainly bowled better than Monty Panesar.

However the pick of the Essex attack was young spinner Nijjar who deserved better reward than his figures of 2-83.

Although the pitch provided the spinners with assistance, former England left-armer Panesar generally bowled too fast and flat to pose problems as his return of 1-88 from 19.1 overs indicated.

Essex had declared on 289-9 to leave their opponents with a testing challenge, but it was one that they rose to on a pitch which was a credit to groundsman Stuart Kerrison and his staff.

Batty, who ended Westley’s hopes of a century earlier on, finished with 5-102 from 34 overs before fittingly, the Surrey skipper was to seal victory with a boundary.

Essex Head Coach Paul Grayson was full of praise for the efforts of Westley and Nijjar. Although the pitch didn’t offer the turn we had hoped for, they performed exceptionally well but unfortunately Panesar was far from his best,” Grayson said.

“He bowled well in the first innings but was found wanting a little bit in the second.

“But full marks for Surrey for coming out on top from what was an excellent game of cricket.”