Rory Burns paid tribute to his Surrey side amid the disappointment of seeing their bid to go unbeaten through the Specsavers County Championship campaign ruined by Essex.

The Division One title had long been settled – 46 points the final margin over runners-up Somerset – but Burns and his men had one final target when they took on their predecessors as champions at the Kia Oval last week.

Not that they seemed to have any chance of success after being dismissed for 67 just after lunch on day one, their lowest total for 32 years and smallest score at The Oval since 1962.

Yet in one of the greatest Championship games ever played at The Oval, they roared back to the verge of victory and only lost by one wicket on a thrilling final day – just missing out on a world record in the process – before being presented with the trophy.

“Being back on home turf and knowing that we would be lifting the trophy at the end of this game in front of our fans gave us some more mental energy – and what a game of cricket that was,” said Burns.

“We might not have won it but we gave it everything to almost snatch it and, with the Sky cameras here too, what a great advert for the county game. Congratulations to Essex for their part in it and for showing just why they were champions themselves a year ago.”

Burns (19) and Ollie Pope (26), Surrey’s two most successful batsmen through the summer, were the only ones to reach double figures as the hosts were bowled out in just 27 overs on a pitch which had been under covers for two days because of constant rain, Jamie Porter and Sam Cook claiming four wickets each.

Essex’s grip on the match tightened when Murali Vijay (80), Tom Westley (134), Simon Harmer (102 not out) and Adam Wheater – who made 68 before being hit on the hand by Morne Morkel – lifted them to 477-8 declared, paceman Jade Dernbach’s 4-95 the best of a tiring attack. He also put Cook out of the match, dismissing him with a bouncer which hit both hand and head which resulted in concussion.

Trailing by 410, Surrey could easily have folded up but instead played like champions, Mark Stoneman (86) and Jason Roy (128) adding 181 for the second wicket. Roy’s first century of the season was augmented by Pope making his fourth, a remarkable effort in a first full season which saw him play in two Tests for England against India.

Cutting ferociously on the way to 114, he was aided by Will Jacks (53) among other handy contributions, Surrey writing off the deficit for the loss of four wickets. But Matt Coles, Cook’s replacement – concussion sufferers can be substituted – swept through the lower order with 5-123 to dismiss Surrey for 541, leaving the visitors 132 for victory.

To force victory after trailing by so many would have set a world record and when Essex slumped to 111-8 on the back off another ferocious burst by Morkel (4-28), whose pace and aggression has made such a difference to his adopted county this season, it seemed a miracle might be possible.

Captain Ryan ten Doeschate had the final word, though, hitting the winning runs to finish on 53 not out in a scintillating climax to a memorable summer.