Ben Foakes mounted a magnificent rearguard to save Surrey from embarrassment at Edgbaston.

Chasing their second win in five outings of this year’s Rothesay County Championship first division, they sent in Warwickshire only to see the Bears amass a monumental 665 for five before declaring.

That left the three-times champions with a match to save but a decline to 217 for five and then 346 for nine on day three left them under severe pressure.

Foakes had already established a county record by not conceding a bye in Warwickshire’s huge innings, which was built around centuries from New Zealander Tom Latham (184), Ed Barnard (177 not out) and Zen Malik (105 not out), the latter pair putting on 215 unbeaten.

Now Foakes’ fine form with the bat this season came to the rescue, making a career-best 174 not out. His tenth-wicket stand of 158 with last man Matt Fisher (40) overtook the 130 shared between Herbert Strudwick and Bill Hitch in Birmingham in 1911, Surrey’s previous best against Warwickshire, and came close to seeing off the 173 stand – best against all-comers – between Andy Ducat and Andy Sandham against Essex at Leyton in 1921.

More immediately, it took the visitors to 504 all out, just failing to save the follow on but having batted so deep into the final day that a draw which had looked likely for much of the match was confirmed. Surrey were 15 without loss in their second innings before a thunderstorm allowed everyone to go home early.

Surrey took 11 points from the match and are fourth in the table, 20 points behind frontrunners Nottinghamshire.

They have yet find the form which has seen them dominate the competition in recent years, victories against Yorkshire this weekend and Essex (May 23-26) at the Kia Oval now particularly important.

By Richard Spiller