Champions Surrey produced a valiant last-day fightback before losing their unbeaten record with a tense one-wicket defeat to Essex in a stunning finale at the Oval.
The hosts – already assured of their first Championship crown since 2002 – came within a single strike of successfully defending a target of 132 after scoring 541 in their second innings.
An 11th win of the campaign was barely credible after Surrey were castled for 67 on the first day of the match after opting to bat but Morne Morkel (4-28) took them to the brink of an extraordinary triumph only to be thwarted by an unbeaten 53 by Ryan ten Doeschate.
The Essex skipper ended the contest at 3.41pm under bright blue late-September skies by clipping Jade Dernbach for four – Surrey’s disappointment softened by the trophy-lift to come.
Surrey began the day harbouring hopes of the most unlikely of victories, resuming on 477-5 in their second dig – a lead of 67.
The hosts suffered an early setback when Will Jacks fell having added just one to his overnight 52 not out, edging Matt Coles (5-123) to Simon Harmer at second slip, but Rikki Clarke and Ryan Patel showed champion resolve in a seventh-wicket stand of 53.
Clarke, part of the squad the last time Surrey won the title in 2002, produced some trademark drives on his way to 39 off 53 while Patel (38 off 138) was rather more circumspect.
Both were prised out by Coles, who became the first player to take a Championship five-for while playing as a concussion substitute, for Sam Cook.
Essex’s openers saw off one over from Virdi before the lunch interval but were soon parted afterwards as Murali lost his off stump to a Morkel delivery that angled in before shaping away from the bat.
Nick Browne followed three overs later, well caught by Clarke at slip off Virdi although Ultraedge suggested there was no contact with the edge.
Jade Dernbach struck with his first ball – drawing Brown into an edge that Clarke gobbled at slip to make it 42-3 and five runs later Ravi Bopara trudged back for a duck, adjudged caught at short leg by Jacks of Virdi although replays again suggested there wasn’t a touch.
Essex’s slide continued when Dernbach produced a brute of a ball, bouncing and moving away to take the edge of Tom Westley’s bat, and it took a counter-punch from Ryan ten Doeschate to steady the visitors’ nerves.
The skipper reverse swept Virdi for four before pulling savagely to the rope only for Morkel to put the game right back in the balance with the wickets of Adam Wheater and Simon Harmer in four balls.
The beanpole South African had a fourth when Porter missed a full delivery and was trapped lbw for four, making the score 111-8, but found his match in ten Doeschate who hustled the Surrey fielders to score at close to a run a ball.
Essex’s captain brought the runs required down to single figures in partnership with Coles only for the latter to be run out in a mix-up after Mark Stoneman and Jacks combined well on the boundary.
With tensions running high in the middle, and tea postponed by agreement of the two captains, Essex got home thanks to ten Doeschate’s gutsy half-century.
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