Highlights from day four
Worcestershire secured their fifth promotion in 12 seasons on the back of a stunning all-round performance by Jack Shantry in the LV= County Championship at New Road.
Shantry, the 26-year-old Shropshire-born left-arm seamer and left-handed batsman, achieved the rare feat of 10 wickets and a century in a match as Worcestershire squirmed out of near-hopeless situations twice in 24 hours, to snatch a 27-run win against Surrey.
Only 37 runs ahead on losing their seventh wicket in the second innings, they recovered to set a target of 217, but at lunchtime on the final day they again faced defeat with Surrey only 95 short of victory with eight wickets standing.
The visitors rarely looked like finding trouble through the morning session and seemed to be cruising after a partnership of 110 by Zafar Ansari and former Worcestershire captain Vikram Solanki.
Worcestershire win and are promoted!!!!!!!
— Worcestershire CCC (@WorcsCCC) September 12, 2014
However, Shantry was ready with another spectacular intervention after taking 6-87 in Surrey's first innings and then scoring an unbeaten 101 in the batting performance of his career.
With Solanki gone for 58, playing on to Charlie Morris before lunch, Shantry had Steven Davies taken at second slip and then bowled Gary Wilson in the space of six balls.
England spinner Moeen Ali then got in on the act, finding some turn - and a cruel lack of bounce when Aneesh Kapil was bowled by a shooter - to take three wickets as Surrey crumbled to 164 for seven.
Jason Roy's dismissal was the big one, the newly-capped England Twenty20 batsman popping up a return catch, and the ball that got through to bowl Gareth Batty halted the one sign of aggression after four boundaries by the all-rounder.
@WorcsCCC PROMOTION!!! An unbelievable fight back from the Worcester boys! @JackShantry UNBELIEVABLE! What a season from the lads #COYP
— Ben Cox (@BenCox10) September 12, 2014
Through all this, Ansari quietly completed his third half-century of the season against Worcestershire but Shantry was not to be denied as he took his side to took the brink of promotion by removing Stuart Meaker and Matthew Dunn in successive overs.
A second innings return of 4-44 in 24 overs gave man of the match Shantry career-best match figures of 10-131.
Worcestershire nerves were almost shredded when Moeen dropped a return chance from Ansari - but Surrey's opener was left sprawling, and run out for 64 after batting for 284 minutes, when beaten by a direct-hit from Alexei Kervezee at mid-on.
Suddenly the long-term Division Two leaders were able to celebrate and within minutes the champagne was flooding from the top-tier balcony in the pavilion.
Having lost the last two matches, Worcestershire would have been in danger of missing out altogether with another defeat. Instead they can look forward to another crack at top-flight cricket while Hampshire and possibly Essex dispute the other promotion place.
And Zafar moves to his fifty from 171 balls with 7x4 pic.twitter.com/9dZOUcEaLq
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) September 12, 2014
Worcestershire skipper Daryl Mitchell said: "The lads kept believing but deep down I thought we were dead and buried in this match.
"But Jack Shantry and Moeen Ali bowled absolutely superbly. It was a top effort to get us over the line.
"For 12 games we were absolutely outstanding this season, with perhaps nine out of 11 guys top-notch for that period, but overall it was the contribution from the group that saw us through."
Disappointed Surrey captain Wilson said: "First of all credit to Worcestershire. It was a big performance from them but it was our game to lose. We didn't bat as well as we can - not by a long way. It's very tough to take.
"Zafar Ansari showed what a top-class performer he is but unfortunately no one could hang on with him after lunch."