AUSTRALIAN batsman James Faulkner’s 121 off 152 balls on the third day of his LV= County Championship debut has almost certainly helped Lancashire secure a draw against Surrey at the Oval.

The table-toppers start tomorrow's final day on 342-8, still 106 runs behind Surrey's first innings total of 448.

Second-placed Surrey have had much the better of a match significantly affected by the weather.

They reduced the Red Rose to 108-6 at one point this afternoon.

With so little time left in the match, Lancashire knew that reaching 299 to avoid having to follow-on was crucial.

And it was Faulkner and seventh-wicket partner Jordan Clark who did the trick with a 183-run stand either side of tea.

Clark made 63 off 142 balls.

The Red Rose went into the fixture leading Division Two by 32 points from Surrey, who have a game in hand, so a draw would be a good result.

Kyle Jarvis struck with the day’s first ball, forcing Stuart Meaker to chop on, before Tom Bailey had Matt Dunn caught behind to wrap up Surrey's innings four overs into the day's play after they had started on 435-8.

Lancashire’s batsmen then struggled, including in-form Ashwell Prince, who fell for 20.

Karl Brown and Paul Horton fell for four to leave the score at 9-2 as their top-order problems show no sign of being cured.

Out of 11 innings this season, Lancashire have been 22-2 or worse in seven of them.

Brown was caught at second slip off Tom Curran and Horton caught behind off Dunn.

Prince and Alviro Petersen shared 46 for the third wicket either side of lunch, but the former was the first of four wickets to fall during the afternoon as Surrey took charge.

Prince was trapped lbw by Curran, leaving the score at 55-3.

Steven Croft was later the first of three to fall for 17 in five overs as Lancashire slipped to 108-6 in the 35th over of their reply.

He was caught at mid-off against Zafar Ansari’s left-arm spin before Petersen and Alex Davies were caught behind off Meaker.

Faulkner, who hit 15 fours, reached his maiden first-class ton off 141 balls inside the final hour of play after Clark, who hit two straight sixes off Ansari and Gareth Batty’s off-spin, reached his maiden fifty off 113.

Both were bowled shortly before close by Dunn.