Surrey were still trailing Essex by five runs with seven wickets remaining when bad light brought an early cessation of play with 18 overs remaining.

The home side gained a lead of 98 after they had continued their first innings for more than three hours with Ronnie Irani reaching 119 before he gave slow left-armer Rupesh Amin a return catch. The Essex captain had started the day on 55 but with a display of impressive stoicism, finally reached his first Championship century of the summer from 192 deliveries that included 13 boundaries.

Partnerships of 42 with Ashley Cowan for the eighth wicket and then 87 for the next with Mark Ilott ensured his side two batting points before Irani's dismissal and a last-wicket partnership of 27 between Ilott and Peter Such took Essex to within four runs of a third batting point.

Irani continued his dominant display when Surrey batted again, striking to remove Mark Butcher with his first delivery that saw wicket-keeper Barry Hyam take a diving catch low to his right with only three runs on the board.

Ian Ward and Mark Ramprakash then added 63 runs before left-armer Ilott got a ball to seam and trapped Ward leg before wicket. Irani then capped a personally fine day when he caught former Essex player Nadim Shahid at mid-on for 14 before bad light curtailed play.

Irani's achievement of a century and a five-wicket haul in an innings was the first time that this feat had been performed in the Championship since 1998, on that occasion by Wasim Akram for Lancashire against Nottinghamshire.

© CricInfo Ltd.