Kelly saves Northants, Siddle's Somerset lose thriller

West Australian seamer Matthew Kelly has again proved his credentials with bat in hand, helping Northamptonshire secure a final day draw with Yorkshire at The County Ground.

Walking in at No.8 with Northants perilously placed at 6-236 after the loss of New Zealand opener Will Young, Kelly combined with wicketkeeper Lewis McManus (62no) for a 78-run seventh wicket stand to lead the hosts to safety.

The Australian right-hander had to weather some hostile bowling from Yorkshire's Pakistani speedster Haris Rauf (2-76) as he crunched three fours and two sixes in his 61-ball 42 before he was dismissed in the fifth last over of the day.

The match-saving knock complements the 27-year-old's match figures of 3-132 after he was also used as a nightwatchman in Northamptonshire's first innings.

Beginning day four in Northampton with all 10 second innings wickets remaining and 442 runs in arrears after Yorkshire racked up an imposing 3(dec)-406 on day three, Kiwi right-hander Young (96) set Northants on course to surviving the required 120 overs with a defiant 241-ball stay.

Rauf produced two nasty short balls that removed Ricardo Vasconcelos (29) and Emilio Gay (0) during the morning session that helped reduce the hosts to 3-79, but Young and Rob Keogh (48 off 124 balls) dug in with a 99-run fourth wicket partnership from 38 overs.

Kelly, in his first game of the season for Northants after WA's drought-breaking Marsh Sheffield Shield title, proved he was more than up to the task with a spectacular pull shot six over deep square leg off Rauf with eight overs remaining as his side finished 7-318 when stumps were called with two balls left.

At The Oval, ageless seamer Peter Siddle couldn't recreate his first innings heroics as Surrey claimed a tense victory by three wickets to retain top spot in Division One of the County Championship.

Playing in his 200th first class match, the first Australian fast bowler to reach that milestone since 2004, Siddle claimed 1-35 from 12 overs as Surrey reached their target of 236 in the 68th over as they overturned a first innings deficit.

SCORES: County Championship, Div 1 and Div 2

Opener Ryan Patel was the star with 102 while England wicketkeeper Ben Foakes saw the hosts home with 48 not out.

Somerset turned to the part-time off-spin of Matthew Renshaw in their search for a wicket, but he couldn't get a breakthrough in his two overs.

James Anderson's Lancashire completed an innings victory over Marcus Harris' Gloucestershire at Old Trafford with the visitors dismissed for 247 in a thrilling final-hour finish.

Image Id: 1A56A98ECAE340049343F2816FC535D1 Image Caption: Pakistan quick Hasan Ali finished with match figures of 9-96 for Lancashire against Gloucestershire // Getty

Pakistan quick Hasan Ali (3-49) was the hero with the final wicket of Jared Warner (10 off 119 balls) in the fourth last over of the match, with leg-spinner Matt Parkinson (3-79) also collecting three wickets from his 38 overs, while Anderson finished with 2-25 at a miserly economy rate of one run an over. Hasan finished with 9-96 after collecting 6-47 in Gloucestershire's first innings.

Wicketless Tasmanian seamer Jackson Bird (4) was the last batter out as Kent crashed to an innings and 51-run defeat against Hampshire in Canterbury, while Mark Steketee's Warwickshire were comfortably beaten by Warwickshire.

The Queensland fast bowler was also wicketless in the second innings as Warwickshire won by 10 wickets after he finished with 4-130 in the first innings.

Australians in 2022 County Championship

Essex: Mark Steketee

Glamorgan: Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser

Gloucestershire: Marcus Harris

Kent: Jackson Bird

Middlesex: Peter Handscomb

Northamptonshire: Matt Kelly

Nottinghamshire: James Pattinson

Somerset: Matt Renshaw, Peter Siddle

Sussex: Josh Philippe

Warwickshire: Nathan McAndrew

Get the full rundown of Australians playing county cricket in 2022