Jamie Overton was promoted up the order on Patel's dismissal in the day’s 16th over to pinch-hit Surrey towards their victory target
Kia Oval (fourth day of four): Essex 271 & 208, Surrey 319 & 162-4 - Surrey win by six wickets
It took Surrey 19.4 final day overs to complete a six-wicket victory against Essex at the Kia Oval that keeps them on top of the LV= Insurance County Championship Division One table with a sixth win from ten matches.
Resuming their second innings on 85 for 2, still requiring 76 more runs, Surrey lost just opener Ryan Patel and allrounder Jamie Overton before clinching a 22-point triumph when they reached 162 for 4.
Patel, on 22 overnight, took his highly valuable but largely defensive and near four-hour knock to 38 before playing back to off spinner Simon Harmer and edging a ball that turned and bounced to keeper Adam Rossington.
Jamie Overton, promoted up the order on Patel's dismissal in the day’s 16th over, soon responded by swinging Matt Critchley's leg breaks over midwicket for six.
And the big allrounder also launched Critchley for another huge six over midwicket before being caught off the same bowler for 21, at long off, in trying to end the match with one more blow.
Nightwatchman Tom Lawes, who on one was dropped at third slip off Shane Snater in the fifth over of the morning, played some excellent strokes of his own to finish 32 not out from 54 balls.
Dan Worrall took 11 wickets in the match (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Lawes, the 19-year old allrounder making just his fifth first-class appearance, clipped Snater through midwicket for four and then skipped down the pitch to drive Harmer straight for six to show his capability with bat in hand.
Ollie Pope, who replaced Overton, reverse-swept the first ball he faced, from Harmer, for four to complete Surrey’s victory after 80 minutes' play on the final day.
Surrey, who began this round of games 15 points ahead of second-placed Hampshire, now face 2021 champions Warwickshire at the Kia Oval next week and – with only four games left for them to play in this summer's competition – look in good shape to repeat their own 2018 championship triumph.
Essex take five points from the game.
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